Seventy is the New Seventy
Why should you read this?Because ageing is changing, but not in the same way for everyone. I bring the perspective of someone who’s lived through nearly seven decades, worked for over five, and seen peers who began working at 15 or 16 in tough, physical jobs. Their reality isn’t captured by neat averages. My voice […]
A Birthday in the Wood: Stories, Memories, and What We Hold Close
This year, I chose to spend my birthday at my wood. It felt right, a return to what I did on my 65th, when I marked the day with reflection, looking back at the year gone by and forward to what might come. I’d already had a week of holding space for a Vision Quest, […]
A Letter to My 35-Year-Old Self
Reflections from 68 to anyone who feels they’re running out of time Dear Denise, You’re 35 now, caught in the swirl of work, parenting, and proving yourself. You think time is running fast and you have to keep up. Let me reassure you: life is long. Longer than you imagine. At 68, I can see […]
Late 60s and Letting Things Settle
Recently I received an email from my publisher.My next book, Career Coaching for Midlife and Beyond, is now live on Amazon and their website, ready for release on 28 October. I read through the description. It covers my background: decades of work in career psychology, retirement coaching, and my PhD at 64. Then I reached […]
Still Expanding: When Possibility Feels Like Pressure in Later Life
There’s a kind of overwhelm that has nothing to do with deadlines, and everything to do with possibility. You might know it. The quiet pressure of unfinished ideas. Of folders and saved articles. Of software tools you meant to explore. The sense that there’s still more you could be doing, not because anyone’s asking, but […]
Climbing Mountains at 83: Sheila Hancock and the Art of Bold Ageing
What does it really mean to age boldly? For me, it’s about doing something unexpected, something that stretches you. Not to prove anything, but to feel fully alive. That’s why Sheila Hancock’s story stays with me. At 83, she climbed a real mountain for a film role, not because she had to, but because she […]
Today, retirement is about identity, purpose, and possibilities, not just age
When it comes to retirement, the old rules don’t always apply. Today, I’m exploring why a more flexible, personal approach can help us navigate this important life transition with greater purpose and clarity. Rethinking the Traditional Retirement Timeline Retirement is changing. It’s no longer just about hitting 66 or 67 and stepping away from work […]
Healthy Ageing and the Future of Work
What the IMF Report Really Tells Us About Later Life “Fury as baby boomers ordered to work into their 70s – ‘the new 50′” That was the Daily Express headline following the release of the IMF’s April 2025 World Economic Outlook. It’s dramatic. It’s clickable. And it’s deeply misleading. As someone who works closely with […]
Is 70 the New 65? Rethinking Ageing in the 21st Century
Introduction At what age do we truly become ‘old’? For decades, 65 has been the traditional marker of older age in the UK, largely because it was the official retirement age and the point at which people could claim their State Pension. But with people living longer and healthier lives, is it time to rethink […]
Listening to My Body and Embracing the Seasons of Life
Hi, it’s Dr. Denise Taylor, coming to you from my wood. It’s just after 1pm on Thursday, March 20th, the first day of spring, and it certainly feels like it. My watch says it’s 16 degrees, and I’m enjoying the fresh air. Behind me is the base that Justin and I built, originally for a […]