You did everything right.
Saved hard. Invested well. Ticked every box.

So why does retirement feel… off?

In this episode, I unpack the uncomfortable truth nobody talks about: retirement can feel psychologically harder than work, even when the money's sorted. Not because you failed, but because you were never given the emotional or mental roadmap for what comes next.

We dig into the five hidden psychological traps that quietly derail retirement, and more importantly, what actually helps you navigate them.

• Why losing your job title can feel like losing yourself

• What happens when a problem-solving brain suddenly has nothing meaningful to solve

• Why the "endless holiday" version of retirement wears thin fast

• The silent pressure to perform a perfect retirement, and why it's exhausting

• How a lifetime of saving can make spending feel terrifying, even when you're financially secure

• How to rebuild your identity around who you are, not what you used to do

• Why your brain needs purpose, not just rest

• How to design a flexible routine that gives freedom without drift

• How to let go of guilt, busyness, and comparison

• And how to create real permission to spend without anxiety or second-guessing

This episode isn't about fixing retirement.

It's about understanding it, so you stop wondering "What's wrong with me?" and start building a life that actually fits.

If this episode hit a nerve, I've created a free one-page Purpose Finder guide to help you get clarity on what you want this next chapter to be about.

👉 Download it here

After 100 episodes of diving into the messy, hilarious, emotional and utterly human world of retirement, I return with the rawest and most powerful episode yet. This milestone isn't a celebration; it's a challenge. A wake-up call. A bold invitation to stop drifting, stop delaying, stop hiding behind old identities… and finally step into the second half of life with honesty, courage, and intention.

This episode strips retirement down to what it really is: not money, not timing, not spreadsheets, but the ongoing evolution of you. Who you are when the job title disappears. Who do you dare to become next? And what you're no longer willing to tolerate in the life you have left.

• The biggest insight 100 episodes have revealed about human beings and retirement

• Why retirement isn't actually about retirement, it's about identity

• The hidden question sitting under nearly every conversation I have ever had

• Why most people drift through the second half of life instead of designing it

• How self-honesty becomes the true starting line of retirement

• Why courage, not money, is the single biggest predictor of a fulfilling future

• What it really means to write the next chapter of your life on purpose

👉 Answer the only question that truly matters:

What are you no longer willing to tolerate in the second half of your life?

Write it down.
Say it out loud.
Let it change something.

Because that answer is your starting line, your compass, your invitation to evolve.

Season 7 begins soon — with a fresh blend of interviews, solo episodes, and deeper dives into the emotional, behavioural, and wildly human side of retirement. Expect honesty, humour, science, challenge… and more than a few loving kicks up the backside.

If you want to retire well in 2026, you don't need a ten-year spreadsheet, a suitcase full of pensions, or a perfectly colour-coded life plan. You need five human foundations: clarity around your money, health that actually supports your freedom, purpose that wakes you up in the morning, people you want in your corner, and the courage to take action.

In this episode, I strip away the fluff and break down what actually moves the needle... the things your future self will thank you for getting right now, not "one day."

• Why your "vibes-based" retirement plan needs to become a real plan

• How financial clarity — not wealth — creates confidence and choice

• Why health is the core engine of your next chapter (not a side quest)

• How to explore purpose without pretending golf is a personality

• The huge role relationships play in your retirement experience

• Why courage — not spreadsheets — is the final unlock

1️⃣ The Money Plan (not the one in your head)
You don't retire on vibes — you retire on numbers, clarity, and confidence.
Know what you've got, how it's structured, and what it can actually do.

2️⃣ Your Health (so you can enjoy the freedom you've worked for)
No point having time and money if you're exhausted, aching, or stuck on the sofa.
Small, consistent actions → big retirement quality.

3️⃣ Purpose (you need something to wake up for)
Work gave you identity, rhythm, and direction.
Retirement requires you to create it — not wait for it to appear.

4️⃣ Relationships (your real retirement portfolio)
Remove work, and the room gets quiet fast.
Build connection intentionally: tribes, friendships, laughter, people who energise you.

5️⃣ Courage (the part no one likes to talk about)
Fear keeps people in holding patterns: waiting for "readiness," waiting for a sign.
Confidence doesn't precede action — it comes from it.

👉 Pick one of the five pillars and make a visible move.

• Book the financial planning call

• Start a consistent walk routine

• Try a new hobby or project you've always avoided

• Message someone you miss and reconnect

• Commit to one brave retirement decision you've been postponing

Don't wait for certainty. Do the human thing that moves life forward.