Jun 22 • 3 min read
The Retirement Fix | June 22nd 2025
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Hi Reader Due to the hiccup of last week's email not coming out on Sunday morning as normal, it was so lovely and humbling to hear from many of you who reached out to me to say that you missed the newsletter dropping into your inbox and by all accounts a few of you were a little worried where I had gone!. I'm chuffed that you look forward to reading my musings every week! You're probably a bit bored of me talking about my book, and like me, just want it to be released. I did want to give you a little update as I had planned to officially launch on Friday, but there are frustratingly still a few last-minute administration hurdles to work through. Hopefully these are sorted ASAP and I will have news early next week... Wherever you are in the world, grab your coffee and I hope you enjoy this week's edition... FEATURED ARTICLE Retirement R Plates: Why Life After Work Needs a Learner’s MindsetMy daughter is learning to drive. Which means I’m learning to brake… hard. From the passenger seat. With no pedals. There’s something oddly humbling about sitting beside someone who’s just beginning, especially when you’re used to being in control. The kangaroo starts, the misjudged turns, the forgotten indicators, it’s all part of the process. And while I’m gripping the door handle with white-knuckled intensity, she’s doing something brave: learning. And that got me thinking. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if we gave out ‘R plates’ for retirement? Not ‘R’ for restricted... no, no, R for Retirement, Reinvention, Relearning. Because just like learning to drive, the first phase of retirement isn’t about cruising into the sunset with ease. It’s about stalling a few times, taking wrong turns, reversing awkwardly into new routines, and learning, slowly and sometimes uncomfortably, how to move forward in a whole new vehicle, one without a satnav, salary, or Monday morning meetings. The Retirement MythI've talked about this lots before, but I want to keep reminding you that we’re sold this story that retirement is the destination. Cross the finish line, get the gold watch, roll credits. But in reality? It’s more like getting your licence and realising you’re now allowed on the motorway with no map, no traffic lights, and everyone going a different speed. Which is exactly why we need Retirement R Plates. A little sign that says to ourselves, and others, “I’m figuring this out.” It gives you permission to:
Why the R Plate Mindset MattersWhat I’ve seen again and again, both personally and professionally, is that those who thrive in retirement aren’t the ones who plan it perfectly. They’re the ones who treat it like a learner’s permit. They approach retirement like a fresh chapter, not a final one. They explore, they experiment, they allow themselves to fail joyfully. And most importantly, they stay curious. Because curiosity is what keeps you moving when the road ahead isn’t clear. And if we’re honest, none of us are really done learning. You don’t stop growing just because you’ve stopped working. In fact, some of the most meaningful growth happens when the to-do list gets shorter and the time horizon gets longer. So What Would Your Retirement R Plates Look Like?If you could design your own R plates, what would they represent?
The joy of this stage of life is that you get to decide. You’re not following someone else’s satnav anymore, you’re building your own road. And yes, you might stall. You might veer into the occasional existential pothole. But you also might find a rhythm, and a route that’s entirely yours. Just like my daughter, you’re not expected to master it all immediately. (Although fewer emergency stops would be nice.) So let’s normalise the messiness of retirement. Let’s ditch the idea of a smooth, polished, Instagram-worthy second act. And instead, let’s embrace the slightly wobbly, often delightful, learner phase of this next chapter. Wear your R plates with pride. They’re not a sign that you don’t know what you’re doing. They’re a reminder that you’re brave enough to keep learning. Even, especially, in retirement. RETIREMENT RESOURCE Time Budgeting For an Ideal Week This week's resource is a worksheet I've put together to help you categorise and budget how you're going to spend your time. You have 168 hours every week, and this will help you figure out how you're going to spend them with joy and purpose.
PODCAST The 7 Pillars of Aging Responsibly SKETCH OF THE WEEK Logic Says You’re Fine. Emotions Disagree.RETIREMENT ARTICLES What I've read this week
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