Ditch the “retire at 60” script — design work you can live with (and live off)

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Longer lifespans and shifting jobs mean the old plan—work 30 years, stop at 60, live on interest—doesn’t hold. Employers value agility, risk sits with you, and careers zig-zag. The smarter question now is how to work so your income and independence survive past 60.

“Retirement” started as a policy hack in 19th-century Europe to free up jobs. It fit factory work and shorter lives. Over time it became a lifestyle aspiration. Modern work and longevity have pulled the rug from under that script.

Fewer kids, more elders, longer lives: the burden on pensions and healthcare is heavier. Many countries nudged up retirement ages and moved to contribution- based systems. Translation: outcomes depend more on your choices than guarantees.

Market returns help, but predictable cash flow from work—jobs, retainers, gigs—keeps you from panic-selling investments. A steady career engine smooths income shocks and lets your corpus compound instead of getting raided.

Pick one durable skill, one domain, and one market skill; invest till you’re top-tier. Ship visible proof—playbooks, case studies, public kudos. Keep PF/NPS/insurance intact. Experiment with side skills you can monetise so optionality compounds like SIPs.

This is prime time to pivot. Chase roles with upside (ESOPs, clear exits) or shift to contracts with a few anchor clients. Productise your expertise into workshops, sprints or retainers. Keep key benefits—group insurance, for starters.

Turn your role into a phased transition: groom a successor, step into advisory, and line up paid offers that trade on your experience. Aim to add or renew at least a couple of client relationships each year. Beat age bias with public proof Bias exists; recent outcomes beat it. Publish three fresh case studies showing problem, intervention, results, and tools used. Add testimonials and a simple

methodology link. Arrive to every conversation with trust already built.

Blend monthly retainers for ongoing advice, short projects for urgent fixes, and one-day workshops to upskill teams. Bake in renewal triggers and kill fees. Diversify so no single client controls your calendar—or your stress.

First, have the ability to “un-spend” quickly if income dips; flexibility beats a fat but rigid budget. Second, build a floor of guaranteed income—pension, annuity, interest—to cover essentials so you sleep well. Third, size health buffers properly; medical inflation can outpace portfolios. Fourth, set liquid pools for 48 hours, 30 days and six months so emergencies don’t force bad exits. Fifth, keep work optionality alive; if you can switch on Rs 25,000-Rs 75,000 a month within 60 days, you’ve got real control.

Stop planning for an end; plan for a glide path. If you design a career that pays—and a corpus that compounds—you won’t be negotiating with fear at 60. You’ll be choosing what to work on, and when.