Rethinking Retirement Through the Lens of Longevity

 When my brother returned from the Senior Summer Games this year, he was full of stories. At over 75, he competed in the doubles tennis tournament and walked away with a silver medal. He told me something that struck me as more than just a sports anecdote, it was a life lesson. When he first entered this age category years ago, winning was relatively easy. The older athletes seemed slower, while he still had speed and stamina. But this time was different. He and his partner lost to a 95-year-old and his 85-year-old teammate.

Think about that for a moment. A 95-year-old not only competing in tennis, but winning against players decades younger. This is not just impressive, it’s a reminder that retirement, aging, and capability don’t fit into tidy timelines.

We’re used to thinking of life in stages: school for 12 to 20 years, work for 35 to 45, and retirement for whatever time remains. But here’s the reality: retirement can now stretch 30 years or more. That’s as long as some people spend in their careers. Longevity is changing the math, and it means we must rethink what it means to “retire.”

Preparing for 30+ Years of Retirement

If we’re going to live long enough to see retirement as a third act instead of an afterthought, preparation matters. Not just financially, but physically, emotionally, and creatively. My brother’s tennis opponents were living proof. At 95, you don’t win a doubles match without taking care of your body. You also don’t step onto that court without mental resilience and the creativity to adapt your game to your strengths.

Physical preparation means staying active long before retirement begins. Emotional preparation involves building connections, nurturing purpose, and finding joy outside of work. Financial preparation is about more than saving; it’s about aligning money with the life you hope to live. And creative preparation? That’s often overlooked, but it might be the most important. It’s the spark that makes those extra decades meaningful.

A Retirement That Isn’t “The End”

Too often, retirement is framed as a wind-down, less doing, less striving, less dreaming. But if retirement lasts three decades or longer, it can’t be about less. It has to be about different. Retirement can be a period of growth, adventure, and reinvention.

The 95-year-old tennis champion reminds us that retirement isn’t a finish line. It’s a new season. It’s not about asking, “What will I stop doing?” but rather, “What will I keep doing, and what new things will I try?”

As life expectancy extends, so should our imagination about what’s possible. Instead of clinging to old notions of slowing down at 65, we need to ask: how do we build lives that keep us strong, connected, and fulfilled at 75, 85, and even 95?