I don't see "retirement" as anything more than a change of lifestyle during a time in one's life where the physical and mental stamina, shall we say, may or may not still be in effect with regard to the original plan. I have met folks who seem to do little to nothing every day. They're active don't get me wrong, but they talk very little about how their job sucks or how they hate (but have learned to love) the routine of waking every day in the same way to go to the same job to do the same thing to make the same money only to go home and watch the same things on television and make calls and texts to the same people, rub one out and then retire to sleep. They talk more about the things they love, the things that make them wonder, they think on a different level. The word "work" is rarely used. I don't think happy people know what work really is like. I guess loving what one does makes work a rather bland way to look at the beautiful things in this life.