Tired Of Working, Not Ready To Retire? A Bold, Honest Look

Do I want to retire, or am I just tired of working like this?

Retirement sounds wonderful when work has swallowed up your life. But before you start counting the days, there may be a better question to ask: Do I stop working, or simply want to stop working the way I do?

A client I was talking to recently told me she can’t wait to retire with such enthusiasm; you would think she was waiting at the airport, and her name was called to be bumped up to first class.

So, I asked what she was looking forward to.

Slower mornings. No Sunday-night dread. Fewer pointless meetings. More travel. Time to exercise before dinner. Lunch that didn’t involve eating over her keyboard. Maybe even an afternoon when nobody needed anything from her.

I listened and then said, “Are you sure you want to retire, or do you just want to retire from the way you’ve been working?”

That changed the conversation.

As a Work and Life Transition Coach, I hear, “I can’t wait to retire” all the time. But once we really get beneath it, I find many women in midlife are simply dreaming about having more control over their lives.

That distinction is important.

So, before you step down and pass on the reins to a younger person, here are five questions worth asking yourself.

Tired Of Working, Not Ready To Retire? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions:

1. What Do I Want to Retire From?

Get specific.

Is it the work, or the commute, office politics, endless meetings, managing people, impossible deadlines, or being reachable at an hour when sensible people are watching Netflix?

Perhaps you still enjoy solving problems, but you’re fed up with managing them; or maybe you love your clients but not running the business. Perhaps you still find the work interesting, but the pace stopped being fun a long time ago.

“I want to retire” can be just another way to say, “I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

2. If I Could Change the Rules, Would I Still Want to Leave?

Here is where the conversation gets deeper.

What if you worked three days a week? Consulted instead of managed? Took fewer clients? Mentored younger colleagues? Worked seasonally? Started the small business you’ve been thinking about for years?

Retirement used to be like an on/off switch: one day you worked your whole life; the next day you didn’t.

I’m glad the times have changed. Today life has become less tidy.

Not Ready To Retire? The Data Says You’re Not Alone

A 2026 Federal Reserve report found that 16% of Americans who considered themselves retired were still doing some paid work, with part-time work far more common than full-time work. And, more interesting, they were more likely to cite nonfinancial reasons, such as purpose and social connection, as the reason they were working. (Federal Reserve, 2026)

Once you’ve hit midlife and beyond, many women don’t want to stop working, they want less work, different work, or to work on their own terms. If you want to think through what that could look like logistically, preparing for retirement in midlife is a good next stop.

3. What Part of My Work Is Still Worth Keeping?

This is the question we don’t ask ourselves enough.

Everyone knows what they won’t miss. The 7:30 a.m. meeting. The bureaucracy. The overflowing inbox. That colleague who says, “Can I pick your brain?” and takes 47 minutes of your precious time.

But what would you miss?

Maybe it’s the people. The intellectual challenge. The structure. Being part of something. The satisfaction of solving a problem. Or simply being really good at what you do, after decades of experience.

Before you throw the whole thing out the window, figure out which pieces of your job are still worth keeping. That’s often the starting point for career reinvention for women over 50, rather than a full stop.

4. What Does an Ordinary Tuesday Look Like?

We tend to imagine retirement in highlight reels.

Travel. Golf. Pickleball. 2 lunches. Grandchildren. Finally reading the books stacked beside the bed.

All great.

But retirement also means an average Tuesday.

You wake up. There is no flight to catch, nobody has invited you to lunch, and the children and grandchildren have lives of their own.

Now what?

This isn’t an argument against retirement. It’s an argument for imagining the actual life, not just the vacation brochure. If you’re weighing the timing of it all, when should you leave is worth a read too.

I recall a client who was thrilled to receive a healthy package to take early retirement. But once the reality hit her, she told me, “I’m so busy now. But I’m busy doing ‘nothing.’”

Think beyond what you want to stop doing, and ask yourself what will give you fulfillment each day.

5. Can I Test-Drive Slowing Down Before I Buy It?

We test-drive cars. We sample paint colors. We spend three weeks reading reviews before buying a toaster.

Yet we often approach one of life’s biggest transitions as though we already know what we want.

Why not experiment?

Take Fridays off if you can. Reduce your hours. Try consulting. Take a longer break without scheduling every minute. Refuse one responsibility you’ve automatically accepted for years.

Then pay attention.

• Do you feel lighter?
• Do you miss the work?
• Are you bored?
• Do ideas start bubbling up?
• Are you suddenly wondering why you waited so long?

You’re collecting real-life evidence.

You may be surprised to learn that you still want challenge, contribution, colleagues, income, creativity, or a reason not to wear yoga pants on a Tuesday.

Maybe the smartest retirement plan isn’t deciding how quickly or when you can stop working.

It’s figuring out what you want your life to feel like in your next chapter.

And once you know, retirement stops being an escape hatch and becomes something much more interesting: a choice.

Want additional help or resources? Reach out to Beverley via her bio below.

Did you enjoy this article? Become a Kuel Life Member today to support our Community. Sign-up for our Sunday newsletter and get your content delivered straight to your inbox.