Hi Reader

Good morning! The sun has now been out for a good week or so and boy does it make everything seem just that little bit better! You can't beat a good dose of natural vitamin D to feel more relaxed and nourished.

The feedback to the slightly revised format and look to the newsletter as well as Humans vs Retirement as a whole has been so lovely to hear, thank for all your kind words... keep it coming as I strive to continually improve and bring you the best value retirement thoughts you can find anywhere!

FEATURED ARTICLE

The Freedom Trap

Why Retirement Isn’t About Escaping, It’s About Rebuilding

You’ve heard it before. Maybe you’ve said it yourself.

Freedom. It’s the word plastered on every retirement brochure, used in every pension advert, and baked into every dream of escaping the 9-to-5.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Retirement isn’t about freedom.

And when we treat it like it is, we risk falling into what I call The Freedom Trap.

What is the Freedom Trap?

It’s the seductive idea that once you stop working, you’ll be free and that this freedom will automatically lead to happiness, purpose, and fulfilment.

But freedom from something (a job, a commute, a boss, deadlines) doesn’t automatically give you freedom to do something meaningful.

In fact, unstructured time with no purpose can feel less like freedom and more like floating in space without gravity.

Many new retirees tell me that within a few months of “freedom,” they feel:

• Unmoored
• Invisible
• Bored
• Anxious
• Like they’ve lost their edge or identity

It’s not because retirement is broken. It’s because the story we were sold about it is.

Freedom is a Feeling, Not a Strategy

Let’s be honest, you’re not chasing freedom.

You’re chasing aliveness.

You want to feel energised, connected, relevant, and useful.

But here’s the kicker... that stuff doesn’t come from subtracting work, it comes from adding meaning.

Purpose. Community. Growth. Joy. That’s what creates the kind of life that feels free. And those things don’t magically appear when you stop working, they need to be designed, chosen, and built.

So, What Should We Be Planning For Instead?

Instead of planning for “freedom,” I suggest you plan for:

• Structure that suits you (not someone else’s)
• Purpose that pulls you forward
• Activities that energise, not just fill time
• Connections that nourish you
• Spending habits that support living, not hoarding

Because true post-work life isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about doing the right things.

Try This: Your Freedom Reframe

Take five minutes today and ask yourself:

• What am I hoping freedom will give me?
• What did I enjoy about work besides the money?
• What’s something I haven’t done in years that I miss?
• If no one was watching, what would I spend my days doing?

This isn’t about replacing work. It’s about reinventing worth.

The Fix: Don’t fall into the Freedom Trap. Retirement is not an endless holiday. It’s the start of a new design challenge: to build a life that’s worth waking up for, not just escaping from.

Let’s stop selling retirement as freedom. Let’s start crafting it as fulfilment.

RETIREMENT RESOURCE

The Time Plan Worksheet

This weeks resource is a worksheet I've put together to help you start to think about your time in your retirement.

​

PODCAST

The 10 Commandments of Retirement

This Week on the Podcast: The 10 Commandments of Retirement What if the secret to a great retirement isn’t hidden in your spreadsheet, but in your mindset? This week, I’m joined by Fritz Gilbert of The Retirement Manifesto to explore the real work of retiring well. We talk about the emotional curve no one warns you about, the surprising power of purpose, and the 10 simple-but-powerful principles Fritz wrote to guide his life after work. If you’re ready to move beyond the numbers and start designing a meaningful second act, this episode is for you. Check Out The Full Conversation ->

​

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

5 Uncomfortable Truths About Retirement You NEED to Hear

​

RETIREMENT ARTICLES

What I've read this week

• These Are All The Ways I Feel Poorer Than I Am - Ryan Holiday​
• Grandmas and Gratitude - Meghaan Lurtz​
• 5 Tips For a Happy Retirement - Gregory Fitzgibbon