Welcome back to Humans vs Retirement! Season 6 kicks off with something brand new — no guests, no panels, just me, the mic, and the unfiltered truth about retirement.

In this episode, I tackle one of the biggest myths of all: that retirement is the finish line. Spoiler alert — it’s not. Retirement is the starting line of an entirely new chapter, and one that comes with as many emotional and psychological hurdles as financial ones.

From the collapse of structure and identity, to the massive gap between our healthspan and lifespan, I explore why retirement isn’t about winding down — it’s about gearing up for your next act.

You’ll also get this week’s Challenge of the Week: a practical exercise to help you shift from “retiring from” to “retiring to.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the glossy brochure version of retirement is a dangerous myth.

• The difference between lifespan and healthspan — and why it matters more than you think.

• How retirement strips away routine, identity, and purpose (and why no one warns you about it).

• The 4 phases of retirement (and why most people get stuck in the messy middle).

• The most important question you can ask yourself before — and after — retiring.

• A powerful reframe: retirement as a threshold, launchpad, and second mountain.

• This week’s Challenge of the Week: Write your new job description as CEO of Your Own Life.

Resources & Links

📚 Dr. Riley Moynes — The 4 Phases of Retirement (featured in Episode 78).

💡 Bill Perkins (2020) — Die With Zero (on memory dividends).

👉 Want more? Connect with me on LinkedIn and share your Challenge of the Week answers.

👉 Buy my book The Retirement You Didn't See Coming

👉 Book a time for us to chat about your retirement plans

Next Episode

Up next: Past Built You. Future Needs You — exploring identity collapse in retirement and how to rebuild a stronger, truer self without your job title.