How to Make Work Optional in Every Decade of Your Life

Most people assume that if they work hard enough, long enough, life will eventually get easier.

But for many people, the opposite happens.

Work doesn’t get lighter with age. It gets heavier.

More responsibility. More pressure. Less energy. Fewer options.

And that’s not because they failed. It’s because most people never planned their decades.

Today, I want to show you how to think about work differently, so that over time, work becomes optional, not compulsory.

This isn’t about retiring early. It’s about ageing without fear.

Here’s the idea most people miss:

You don’t wake up at 60 and suddenly get freedom. Freedom is built quietly, decade by decade.

Every decade has a role to play. If you drift through them, work tends to tighten its grip.

If you’re intentional, work loosens its hold.

Let me walk you through what that looks like, from your 20s to your 70s.

If you're not where you'd like to be, don't worry. Most people aren't. You can change your life in one year by taking massive action. You do so when you stop playing small and rise to what you're capable of.

My name is Ken of The Humble Penny and Financial Joy Academy, I’m a Chartered Accountant, a Former CFO and a Financial Coach.

Together with my wife, Mary, we achieved Financial Independence at the age of 34, including being mortgage-free in 7 years. We did it while raising two sons.

📌 We’re also Sunday Times Bestselling Authors of Financial Joy, and we recently announced our new book, The Wealth Habit, a mindset + habit system that makes wealth building effortless, inevitable and sustainable for life. It's now available for pre-order.

How to Make Work Optional in Every Decade of Your Life

Alright, let's dive into How to Make Work Optional in Every Decade of Your Life.

👉🏽I've also shared my personal reflections with each decade. let me know what you think in the comments.

In Your 20s — Work Hard 

Your 20s are not about balance. They’re about foundations.

This is the decade where working hard actually makes sense.

Not grinding endlessly, but building skills, confidence, and direction.

Here are some practical Examples:

1) Saying yes to long hours to build skills in demand, not just a payslip.

2) Reading and studying to level up while working full-time.

For example, in my 20s, I trained as a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) while working full-time.

Then, later, in my early 30s, I topped it up with an Executive MBA at Cambridge University.

Yours could simply be an online course, tailored coaching or reading quality books.

The key is targeted reading and learning, and not doom scrolling on social media.

3) Taking the job that teaches you the most, not the one that looks flashy.

4) Start experimenting with your ideas (e.g. side hustles) and developing that experimental mindset.

5) Living simply so future you has options. No soft life.

6) Learning how money actually works and start investing

This decade is about foundations, not comfort.

The mistake people make in their 20s is optimising for lifestyle too early.

The goal here isn’t comfort.

It’s optionality later.

Personal Reflection: If I could offer one piece of advice to my 20-year-old self, it would be to invest more aggressively. No one is coming to save you.

Recommended: ISA Millionaires: How ordinary people became tax-free millionaires

In Your 30s — Work Smart 

Your 30s are different. Energy is still there, but time is no longer abundant.

Careers deepen. Families grow. Responsibilities stack up.

This is where working harder stops working.

So you start working smarter.

Here are some practical Examples in your 30s:

1) Negotiating pay rises tied to outcomes intentionally, rather than waiting for them to happen. 

2) Become an intrapreneur at your place of work for unusual financial outcomes.

3) Get a coach or mentor years ahead e.g. 10 years ahead in life and experience. 

You need other people to work smarter. Gradually build a valuable network.

4) Start side projects that fit around family life, amplified by tech e.g. AI and so on. 

These will help you create a portfolio career later in life.

For example, I recently became a Non-Executive Director (NED) for Fair4All Finance.

This won't have happened had I not started a passion project, The Humble Penny, while I worked my 9-to-5 as a CFO.

5) Investing automatically instead of trying to time the market

6) Build systems for your money, business, and life more generally.

7) Choosing fewer priorities and doing them well. Realising time, not hustle, is your scarcest asset

In your 30s, stop doing everything and start doing what matters.

Personal Reflection: If I could offer one piece of advice to my 30-year-old self, it would be don't be afraid. The future is yours to create. Set systems up that accelerate wealth creation, plus start that side hustle now and have a global perspective. You don't need anyone's permission.

In Your 40s — Work How You Want 

Your 40s are powerful. You’ve built experience.

You’ve seen what matters — and what doesn’t.

This is where the goal becomes alignment.

Working how you want means:

1) Turning down roles that don’t align with your values

2) Working remotely or flexibly without guilt

3) Owning assets (physical and digital) that earn alongside your effort

4) Structuring work around school runs, health, and energy

5) Saying “no” without needing to explain yourself

In your 40s, you’re no longer proving yourself. You’re protecting your life.

Your health, your family and your peace.

Work is still part of life, but it’s no longer in control of your life.

I’m 42, and given all the work my wife, Mary, and I have done in our 20s and 30s, we’re able to work how we want, doing what we love.

Are you feeling behind? This will encourage you…

I started life in the UK as a first-generation immigrant at 14, massively behind most people, as we started with nothing, but I achieved Financial Independence 20 years later at age 34.

It happened because I chose not to live as most people do.

Being behind incentivised me to explore multiple paths and learn from others directly to speed up my journey.

Financial freedom is never given to you; you have to take it gradually.

My mum started life again from ground zero (no money and immigrant challenges), aged 45 with 4 kids, but became financially independent in her 60s.

I’m sharing that to say it is possible for you as well. 

If you want to chat with me 121 to work out a game plan for different aspects of your finances and wealth-building journey, please book a Power Hour with me.

Personal Reflection: If I could offer one piece of advice to my 40-year-old self, it would be to make your health your number one priority. Period. No health, no wealth.

In Your 50s — Work When You Want

In your 50s, something important happens.

Urgency fades. Clarity sharpens.

This is the decade where time becomes more valuable than money.

Working when you want looks like:

1) Consulting a few days a week instead of full-time grind

2) Taking months off without financial panic

3) Choosing projects that feel meaningful, not urgent or necessary

4) Letting investments and systems quietly do the heavy lifting

5) Being present for family without watching the clock

Work should become selective. You’re no longer building from scratch, you’re harvesting what you’ve built.

Personal Reflection: If I had one desire for my 50-year-old self, it would be that I stayed happily married and continued building a deeper relationship with our children. Plus, I am enjoying hybrid living in the sun and I remain healthy.

In Your 60s — Work If You Want

Your 60s are about choice without pressure.

Some people still want to work, and others don’t.

The difference is this: You don’t need to.

You might be:

1) Mentoring because you enjoy it, not because you need the income.

2) Running a passion project on your terms.

3) Giving generously without fear of running out.

4) Saying yes only to work that brings joy.

5) Knowing your lifestyle is already funded.

Freedom isn’t stopping work. Freedom is having the choice.

Work becomes expression, not obligation.

And that’s freedom.

Personal Reflection: If I had one desire for my 60-year-old self, it would be that I am strong, surrounded by love, close friendships, I'm having impact and my relationship with God remains top priority.

In Your 70s and Beyond — Live & Enjoy The Life You Built On Your Terms 

By your 70s and beyond, the goal is never work, although some need work to avoid boredom.

The goal here is life.

This is where:

1) Your time is shaped around health, family, and joy, not income

2) Money quietly does its job in the background

3) You help where you want to, not where you’re needed to survive

4) You travel slower, deeper, and with intention

5) You’re present for grandchildren, community, faith, and legacy

6) You make decisions based on energy, not urgency

Work is no longer the focus. Life is. You’re not scrambling. You’re not surviving. You’re living on your terms.

Personal Reflection: If I had one desire for my 70-year-old self and beyond, it would be that I am still living a full, quiet life, healthy, strength training, travelling, spending lots of time with Mary, our boys and their children across the world. Plus, giving back in different ways.

The Pivot 

Here’s the key point before I come to a conclusion on making work optional:

Most people don’t end up working longer because they want to.

They do it because they didn’t build options earlier.

Work becomes heavier when decades are left to chance.

But when each decade has intention, work slowly becomes optional.

Conclusion

The real question isn’t: “When can I retire?” It’s: “What am I doing now that will make my future decades lighter?”

You don’t need perfection. You need direction, because the goal isn’t stopping work.

It’s building a life where you always have a choice.

Be excited about the future. It is unclaimed land waiting for you to build on it.

If this resonated, comment below and let me know where you are right now. What kind of options do you want your future self to have?

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank Jill Scott for inspiring this post.

Don’t go anywhere, check out these resources to help you make work optional, no matter what decade you're in:

• Need 121 coaching? Book a Power Hour
• 10 Silent Wealth Destroyers in Your 30s and 40s
• 10 Hidden Games The System Uses to Keep You Poor

Thanks for reading this post.

♻️ Share it with others who need the knowledge and a shift in their thinking.

Watch the video version of how to make work optional across every decade of your life:

As always, in all things, be thankful and seek joy.