While the average retirement age for Australians is the highest it's been since the 1970s, many workers are still hoping to retire early. 

And for some people, early retirement means in their 50s, 40s, and even their 30s!

But there's a shift in the way many people are approaching retirement. They want to leave the daily grind of full time work behind, but not necessarily leave the labour force forever.

So, is there an ideal time to retire?  And what should people keep in mind as they look to scale down their work life?