10,000 steps and age 65 are two numbers that have one thing in common.
Origins
Did you know that the 10,000 daily steps rule didn’t come from medical insight? It came from a Japanese pedometer company’s marketing campaign back in 1965. The device was named Manpo-kei, which translates in Japanese to “10,000 steps meter”. It has no clinical basis it was just a catchy round number that somehow became gospel.
The idea of a retirement age of 65 has the same problem.
Retiring at 65 traces back to 19th-century Germany.
It came from a political calculation, not a human one. The number was deliberately set above the age when most people were expected to live to so that pensions wouldn’t have to be paid out at scale.
When other nations built their pension systems, many simply borrowed the number. The US adopted age 65 to begin pension payments in 1935 because actuarial and economic data showed it would be sustainable with payroll taxes. Canada started with age 70 in 1952 and then lowered it to 65 in 1965. 
The result?
Hundreds of thousands of Canadians are expected to leave the workforce every year not because they’re done, but because some false number said so. When people turn 65 we all say “time to retire!”
When Jocelyn and I left our pastoral roles at North Pointe in March 2019, the narrative shaped around the transition was that we were retiring. I was 64. That was my only regret. I should have done a better job of communicating that we were letting go of something precious and looking for God’s next for us.
The church was strong and healthy and in it’s 102nd year, it was at it’s highest in gospel impact, adult salvations, baptisms, servers, attendance, and missions giving. We loved the family of North Pointe. No longer being with them was one of the hardest things we chose to do. There was still fuel in our tanks, but we believed NP could be better served in the long run by a next generation of leaders.
Our Nexts
After North Pointe, Jocelyn and I led a team to Israel, I wrote and published a book, and in June I was hired to be the interim lead pastor in Barrhead. That was an awesome 9-month journey from August 2019 until May 2020. We went into COVID together, physically distanced.
And, in January 2020 I held two jobs. I was hired as a full time team member with the ABNWT District and over the last 6 ½ years have been privileged to help lead adaptive change. I now serve as Director of Leadership Development, Vitalization, Multiplication and Church Transitions. As well, I am a founding director of the national organization, Church Vitalization Canada. My older friend, Gary Taitinger, is the President of CVC and he is going strong.
Active
Being purposefully engaged helped me maintain a significant level of mental and physical health. Doing important work is a privilege and I’m grateful to our District leadership for giving me this opportunity.
We know there will be an end to this role, sooner than later. But I want to stay purposeful after this role.
Our youngest son is an actuary. Actuarial math asks at what age is it statistically efficient to retire someone in order to save the pension funds money.
Human math asks how do we keep knowledge contributing, at every age, for as long as someone has it to give.
I hope this post will help you think about your future.
Don’t hold on past your best before date.
Don’t opt out of what you love just because you’re 65. Some roles are mentally, spiritually, and physically demanding. Maybe you’ll be involved in what you love but in a different way. Support, consult, advise. Keep learning, growing, stretching.
Plan now for what life will look like after 65, 70.
What do you think? Please join the conversation and post a comment below.
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Good Morning Pastor Bob. I enjoyed this blog…as it also pertained to me. I am 64…turning 65 this year. The “magic number”…where I will be legally declared as a senior citizen & all the benefits that come with it. It really hasn’t changed my lifestyle. I still dance every Saturday for 2 hours…1 hour of an advanced performance Hula Class & 1 hour of Tahitian Class. & It all winds down….as our year end recital happens on Saturday. Our Hoike, where we can finally perform for our family & friends…so they know what I was doing every Saturday for 2 hrs. I didn’t miss one class this year…perfect attendance…even though, my classmates were sick all year with colds & flu. Washing your hands is really important. LOL! So, our dress rehearsal is tonight…it goes from 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm tonight. Making sure we know our routines…& our Kumu (teacher) makes sure we all land our “marks” with all our Hula Sisters & Brothers. There are 3 men in our Halau (School of Dance) too. It will be a long night, but we want to be our best…for tomorrow’s year-end show.
I also love performing with the 150 person Choir with “Crescendo” & “The Edmonton Singing Christmas Tree” every year.
Life at 64..almost 65….is still amazing. If I am blessed to live longer into my senior years…I will take it gladly. So much more to do…so more many laughs with my friends and family. Looking forward to the future. Have a great weekend! Keep on, keeping on.
Sounds amazing, Julie! You are a young, vibrant 64. Hula on!
I retired this year as you know, Pastor Bob. I gave myself the first six months to have absolutely zero goals. I gave myself the gift of “the art of doing nothing “. As a teacher, every second is full. I needed to learn how to slow down, and be present in the moment. As that time has passed, I am now looking for goals.
I have established routine ( daily workouts, dog walks, weekly coffee, dates, travel, time with God, learning, new things, etc.).
I am positive that this will not be enough. For now, this first year of retirement, it will suffice. But I know there’s more. I know that God is calling me for more. Although I have have retired from work where I get paid, I don’t think as Christians we could retire from work in the kingdom.
It is incumbent upon us to become prayer warriors, encourage younger generations, uplift, and partner with new Christians, share knowledge and experience with those that are struggling. We always have a job to do when it comes to kingdom serving.
As long as God holds us in his grip, there is work to be done.
Thanks again, Bob, for another thoughtful piece. Having retired 4 times, so far, first time at 62 and was working just before my 70+ birthday !. My thoughts are that if you still have contribute to society, and you enjoy what you do, keep on working.
Adena, I will look forward to where you land once your first year is up. You have so much capacity.
Wow. 4 times! Will there be a 5th?
In December I will hit that 70, but I feel I still have it me me to give my time, energy, and gifts to others, both older and younger than myself.
Not retiring yet, but changing gears from children to seniors. I just planned a picnic with our Ukrainian friends a skatepark event and planning a block party in Sept. No stopping. Mr, Sloboda from Glad Tidings Church once told me when I said I’d take a year off, that I was too young I was in my 30s, he did everything he could even if it was cutting out letters for bulletin boards until he couldn’t. I didn’t take that break LOL.
I’m not sure what things will look like if I stop, but I do know as they said in the Veggie Tales series ” I’m going to keep on Keepin on”
You and Joycelyn have been a great encouragement in my journey. Thank You
You will be the youngest 70 year old we know.Your energy and passion are the envy of younger people. It was SO good to see you again at Bethel. And to think, your skatepark outreach is one more work that puts Bethel on the map in Barrhead as a community supporter. You care about youth and kids. All your actions show that. Thank you for being a friend. I need to get back to the Flower Shoppe Cafe again on a Friday.
Sorry Bob, I have mixed feelings about this post.
I appreciate the encouragement for people to remain active and engaged in meaningful work and service as they age. However, I think there is another side of the conversation that isn’t represented.
In my experience, there are situations where individuals remain in their positions long after it would be beneficial for them, their organization, or those they serve. This can create difficult personnel and performance challenges that eventually require intervention.
There is also a financial aspect to consider. I once helped a nurse through retirement planning and discovered that, when comparing her earnings to the pension benefits she could have been receiving years earlier, she was effectively working for less than $10 per hour. Remaining in the workforce was actually costing her financially.
We also can’t ignore the realities of changing physical and mental capacities that come with age. While many people continue to contribute significantly well into their later years, others may reach a point where stepping aside allows both them and others to thrive.
I agree that people should continue doing what they enjoy and find purpose in. Retirement does not mean becoming inactive. Since retiring at 64 after giving my all in the workforce, I’ve found great satisfaction in staying busy, serving others, and contributing in different ways.
Perhaps the key is not whether we retire or continue working, but whether we honestly assess our circumstances and seek to honour God in whatever season of life we are in.
Thank you for your wise insights, Rod. Some people stay past their best before dates because what they do is their identity and/or their sole source of income. I was privileged to be a pastor for 40 years in four churches. In 2019, North Pointe was a relatively large church with high demands. I knew my capacities. The longer I stayed, the less optimal my leadership would be. But I didn’t retire. I knew what I had to offer could be beneficial in other environments.
I wonder if the general narratives around expectations and policy force some employees into exiting roles before their time. Sometimes policy is a financial decision where an experienced employee earning a higher salary can be retired out to save $. That’s a company’s prerogative. In general, the mental health of those who retire or are retired can be at risk without a fulfilling purpose. Any C-suite leader I have spoken with after their retirement has explained that the mental cost of being out of their role was more of a threat than their finances. Life or contribution doesn’t end at 65. Or 70. Especially for those who are followers of Jesus and have years of continued service in them.
I’m 72. My employment experience will shift shortly. It’s been a privilege to be able to contribute on significant files in the last 7 years. I am privileged to do what I love. As health allows, I hope to stay engaged in volunteer roles post employment. (As well as engaging in activities that the other REV in REVwords enjoys.)