The Finish Line

Our younger selves thought 50 was “old”. Let’s be honest - this decade didn’t look nearly as sexy and vibrant back then as it does today.

My vision of “retirement”? The Golden Girls. To be clear, those ladies were fabulous - I adored that sitcom and still do. But as a teenager, retirement felt light years away. As a young adult, it seemed like something that only happened after decades of grinding. Everyone I knew followed the same formula: work until 65, then stop. That was the script.

But here’s the shift: retirement no longer looks like a single, linear story. Today, it’s being rewritten by confident, independent Gen X women who are refusing to shrink into someone else’s version of “later.” They’re not slowing down - they’re stepping into more options, more choices, and more freedom than we were ever told to imagine. At 50, I see retirement as far less scripted and much more personal than I ever imagined.

Flexibility, freedom, and individuality have become the new markers of retirement readiness. The old blueprint - work 30 or 40 years, then ease into a life of shuffleboard, bridge clubs, or a sunbelt community - feels out of touch. That model may have made sense when lifespans were shorter and gender roles more rigid. But today? We’re living longer, healthier, and with more possibilities at our fingertips.

And we’ve learned something from watching passions get shelved for “someday.” Someday often never comes. Those deferred dreams carry weight. And we know now that living isn’t about putting life on layaway - it’s about designing it in real time.

For some, a retirement community still feels appealing. But it’s no longer the default. We’re open to new scripts: downsizing into a chic condo, swapping suburbia for city energy, keeping a second home for seasonal escapes, or even living abroad. It might be chasing sunrises on a surfboard, hitching up a camper for weekend getaways, or finding peace in the mountains. The glossy retirement brochure doesn’t get to define us anymore - we do. And whether your vision is global, urban, or ideally local, the point is the same: your retirement can look exactly like you.

Each decade gifts us perspective - clarity, assurance, and stability we didn’t have before. By midlife, many of us find not an ending but a second wind. This season is about leaning into passions that expand and challenge us. It’s about shaking off obligation and choosing curiosity. For me, midlife feels like both a reset and a launchpad: a chance to reimagine what’s possible, not just what’s expected.

Maybe retirement for you means starting the business you’ve been daydreaming about. Maybe it’s living part of the year abroad. Maybe it’s simply choosing a rhythm of life that feels aligned with who you are now - not who you were at 25. Whatever your answer, remember this: retirement isn’t the end of the road. It’s the beginning of the freedom you’ve been working toward all along.

Here’s to reimagining what’s next - and designing a life you can’t wait to wake up to.

Until next time - be a good HUMAN. ✨