I was self employed and started cutting back at 55. I took Social Security at 62, but contued working, earning at least 40-60k a year on top of it until I was 72.

That let me be more semi-retired at 62 than I was at 55. I have about half a million socked away, but I only have to take RMD on half of that, and with SS that's plenty for us to live on right now. .