As appealing as saying goodbye to your job might be, you should find many compelling reasons to delay throwing in the towel and stay put in where you are right now. You should not aim for retirement. Rather, plan for it carefully. Take your sweet time to prepare for that eventuality. So, excuses could you turn to for retirement to take a backseat at the moment? Well, here are the most crucial ones. They are not mere excuses but truthful justifications:

You’re only youthful and productive once

It’s okay to work your butt off, but you have to make sure that the rewards and all the great things you get out of your career are worthwhile.

While you’re still young and able, take advantage of what you can do to develop new skills, hone current ones, and see how the fruits of your labor impact on both your team’s and company’s success. Stretch your learning and doing capacities to the limit. You might just surprise yourself and see how such a talent you are!

 Being active through working is good for your health

You heard it right. Working does not only fatten up your wallet; it also makes you useful. It’s human nature to be inspired when a sense of fulfillment happens — for a job well done, seeing a project through, being recognized for your accomplishments, or completing a difficult undertaking. Your ego is pretty much fed, and your mind tells you that can do so much more. You also get to perform mental (and perhaps physical, too) exercises if you keep on working.

 Increased social security returns

It goes without saying that a person wants to be secure and comfortable for life. While paying income tax is your duty to the government, paying for state social security is your obligation to yourself. The longer you work, the more contributions you make to the pot. Ultimately, that pot will be your companion when you need it the most. Different countries have different prescriptions of how much a worker has to shell out. However, the purpose is the same — to secure your future.

 Bigger personal funds

Enjoy your paycheck, but set aside amounts to build your savings. You don’t have to be a math genius to figure out how much money you will require for your expenses versus the earnings you have saved thus far and expect to earn still. Sure, you may follow the so-called 4% rule in saving for retirement. Nevertheless, no rule could ever change the fact that the longer you work, the more you have money to spend and keep.

“The question isn’t at what age I want to retire, it’s at what income.”George Foreman

 Preserving your relationships

Working may not always be a “smooth sail” because of the stress and conflicts that may sometimes occur. However, lasting relationships are usually formed in the workplace. Individuals continue to work not just for the job and money, but for the people that they have come to appreciate, who appreciate them in return.

Think not just twice, but several times before you make that irreversible decision of retiring. If the above reasons read all hold true for you, then you’re not ready to leave just as yet.