Hi Reader

As one of my all time favourite song writers once said... "Guess who's back, back again? Dan is back, tell a friend! Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back...

It's been great to take a long break over the last 5 weeks or so, it was much needed after a full on first half of the year. However, I'm really engerised to be back bringing you my weekly newsletter and can't wait to share more with you over the coming months

A quick update from me:

• I had a wonderful 2 weeks in Portugal
• Book feedback has been AMAZING!
• Season 6 of the podcast is underway
• Some projects are in the fire that I can't wait to share over the coming months

I hope you enjoy getting my thoughts every Sunday again and as always, if you have any suggestions on how to improve or questions, comments etc, just get in touch.

FEATURED ARTICLE

Could Optimism Be Your Retirement Superpower?

The script says retirement is the happy ending: you’ve worked, you’ve saved, now cue the sunsets and golf courses.

But when the curtain goes up, most people discover Act Two has no script. It’s improv night, you’re on stage and the audience is waiting. Exciting? Maybe. Terrifying? Definitely.

Here’s the truth bomb: optimism might just be the retirement superpower nobody told you about.

And I don’t mean toxic “everything’s fine while Rome burns” optimism. I mean the kind of optimism that helps you live longer, spend better, and build a life that actually feels worth waking up for.

The science (yes, this is real)

• Optimists live longer. A bunch of clever people at Harvard tracked thousands of folk and found that the most optimistic had a 11–15% higher chance of living to 85+. That’s nearly a decade more pub trips, grandkid cuddles, or questionable golf swings.
• Optimists age better. Another study of 30,000 women showed the cheeriest were 23% more likely to reach old age free of major disease. Translation: optimism isn’t just about adding years to your life, it’s about adding life to your years.
• Optimism protects your brain. People with positive views about ageing were 44% less likely to develop dementia. Even if they carried the so-called “Alzheimer’s gene,” optimism cut their risk in half. That’s not woo-woo, that’s neurology.
• It’s not magic, it’s behaviour. Optimists exercise more, smoke less, follow their doctor’s advice, and cope with setbacks better. They don’t just sit around hoping, they act. And that’s the secret sauce.

The catch (because there’s always one)

Optimism has a dark side. Over-optimism is what makes people forget travel insurance, assume the stock market will only go up, or think they’ll “sort out their will later.”

So think of optimism like tequila: powerful, fun, energising, but best with a slice of lime and a bit of restraint.

So what do you actually do with this?

Here’s how to flex your optimism muscles without wandering into la-la land:

1. The 3-P Reframe. When something goes wrong, ditch the story that it’s Personal, Pervasive, and Permanent. Replace it with Not personal, Specific, and Temporary. (“This trip got cancelled, this time, for now.”) Instant perspective shift.
2. 14 Days of “Best Possible Self.” Each morning for two weeks, scribble for 5 minutes about your retirement life going brilliantly. Then pick one action to move towards it today. Evidence shows it literally rewires your brain towards optimism.
3. WOOP It. Wish – Outcome – Obstacle – Plan.
   • Wish: Run twice a week.
   • Outcome: Feel alive, sleep like a baby.
   • Obstacle: Rain + can’t be arsed.
   • Plan: If it rains at 7am, I’ll go at 6pm. It works. Seriously.
4. Optimism with guardrails. Dream big, but don’t just fling cash around because “it’ll all be fine.” Use spending guardrails, a floor and a ceiling linked to your investments, so you can enjoy life without the financial hangover.

Micro-habits worth stealing

• Curate who you hang out with. Optimism’s contagious, so is moaning. Choose wisely.
• Move before you think. Even a 10-minute walk fires up optimism faster than a self-help book.
• Go on a doom diet. Less news, more humans who are actually doing things.

The bottom line

Optimism won’t mow your lawn or pay your tax bill. But as a retirement superpower, it stacks the deck in your favour: longer life, healthier years, more fun, and a wallet that actually gets opened for the good stuff.

So this week, pick one of the tools above. Try it, see what happens and report back to me!

And if you want to pair optimism with a plan that lets you spend without the side order of guilt or fear, you know where to find me.

RETIREMENT RESOURCE

Ready to put optimism into practice?​
Optimism isn’t just an idea, it’s a muscle and like any muscle, it gets stronger when you use it. Below is a simple one-page worksheet to help you flex your optimism in real life: spotting what’s already good, picturing a brighter next chapter, and taking one small step towards it. Fill it online, print it, scribble on it, stick it on the fridge and see what happens when you train your retirement superpower.

​Retirement Optimism Worksheet.pdf​​​​​​​​​

PODCAST

The Humans vs Retirement Podcast is back with Season 6 and it’s going to be a little different. No guests. No polite chit-chat. Just me, a microphone, and my unfiltered truths about retirement.

I’ll be tackling the good, the bad, the hilarious and the downright awkward realities of life after work, the stuff nobody else seems willing to say out loud.

Think of it as pulling up a chair with me for a brutally honest, occasionally cheeky, always human conversation about what retirement really looks like.

Retirement isn't the goal, it's the starting line

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. ​​​​

SKETCH OF THE WEEK

Enough Money is the Ticket, Feeling Alive is the Ride

RETIREMENT ARTICLES

What I've read this week

• The Riddle of Happiness - Lawrence Yeo​
• Rise of the mid-life downsizers: The generation planning to fund retirement with their family homes - MoneyWeek​
• The 12 Best Things Rich Retirees Do - Kiplinger