At a recent class reunion, I noticed a clear trend: many people were already retired. Some were financially comfortable and eager for less stress. Others were relying on a solid pension. Quite a few were counting down the days until they could finally stop working.

But one conversation stood out.

I spoke with an attendee who still works full-time—and doesn’t even think in terms of retirement. He’s fully engaged in his work, curious, learning, contributing. Honestly, he was the most interesting person I talked to that day. He was energized, telling stories about new challenges and projects, clearly excited about the role he plays “in the world.”

It made me wonder: maybe the traditional idea of retirement is outdated. Maybe we shouldn’t be so focused on finally being “done” after 30 or 40 years.

Many cultures—Japan being a powerful example—view this differently. People there often work well into their 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond. They’re not hanging on to a job; they’re holding on to purpose (which they call ikigai), community, and identity.

Their secret isn’t retirement at all. It’s what I’d call phased work.

Yes, you could call it “phased retirement,” but that still frames the goal as stopping. Phased work reframes the goal as continuing—just differently. Maybe the real focus shouldn’t be on ending work, but on reshaping it.

Work doesn’t have to be strenuous to be meaningful. The New York Times recently profiled several Japanese workers over 100 years old, for example:

• Fuku Amakawa, 102, works the lunch shift at her family’s ramen shop five or six days a week. She says, “It is really beautiful that I can still work. Physically and emotionally, it changes the quality of my life.”
• Seiichi Ishii, 103, still repairs bicycles daily. He began this work at age 12 and says, “If I die here, in my workshop, I will be happy. I am a working man, and that doesn’t change with age!” He enjoys the conversations with customers as much as the repairs.

These individuals aren’t defined by leisure. They’re defined by contribution, routine, and connection. Their activity keeps their minds sharp, their skills relevant, and their social circles intact—powerful antidotes to isolation and decline.

Phased work is the intentional choice to recalibrate your workload rather than eliminate it. It shifts the question from How do I stop working? to How do I keep contributing in a way that fits this stage of life?