But for today’s knowledge workers—people who lead with their minds and not their muscles—retirement is no longer a clear-cut concept. Instead, it’s a foggy future with no obvious on-ramp or off-ramp.
Why? Because wisdom doesn’t wear out. A carpenter’s knees might give out, but a strategist’s insights ripen with age. In fact, studies show that cognitive empathy, pattern recognition, and judgment all improve as we get older. So, when society says, “You’re 65, time to stop working,” many knowledge workers scratch their heads and ask, “But why?”
There’s also identity. When your job is an expression of your intellect, purpose, and social engagement, leaving it behind can feel like an existential amputation. For knowledge workers, retirement often feels less like freedom and more like banishment.
Let’s stop asking, “When are you going to retire?” and start asking, “How do you want to spend your wisdom?” Because the modern elder doesn’t fade away—they repurpose themselves. And that’s a beautiful thing.
-Chip
P.S. For those of you who are curious about how you might rethink this era of your life, we have our much-heralded Reframing Retirement online bootcamp next week, June 23-27, with two-dozen thought leaders led by MEA’s Chief Content Officer and Partner Kari Cardinale. There are two live online sessions with the rest of the affordable program being available to you whenever you want to watch it from the comfort of your own home.