Choice Blog

Ease yourself into 'pre-tirement'

Neil Patrick takes a wry look at life in the third Age

Have you heard of a new trend in Third Age living, for 'pre-tirement'- not retiring finally but finding something fulfilling to do before you do decide to stop working altogether?

The idea is that instead of taking a headlong plunge into retirement, you go part-time at the dya job and fill the rest of your week indulging in a 'hobby' job, weaning yourself away from your career and maybe earning a few bob along the way.

If you've done a bit of pottery at your local arts centre, you might buy a small kiln and make pots for sale; you could turn your woodworking skills into a paying hobby, or simply take in bigger projects just for the pleasure involved.

Research into retirement trends show that hobbies such as crafts offer a world of possibilities for pre-retirees. Garden skills learned over years cold be channelled (at an hourly rate) towards tending to gardens of busy people who are working full-time; skills used in a career, say as an accountant, could be useful in a more social context, perhaps 'doing the books' of local organisations.

'Pre-tirers' can venture into a new world of work without the career structure, or the binding hours. For example, if you fancy learning to be a barista, coffee shops often offer shifts to staff who can cover for a few hours a week.

As a report on the trend towards 'pre-tirement' says: "Retirement is increasingly becoming more than a single moment in time. A process whereby people delay their retirement plans, change jobs, earn a living from a hobby, or go part-time, has become the new norm for retirees."