Creating a Life You Don’t Want to Retire From

What if retirement isn’t what you really want you just haven’t realised yet

Do You Really Want to Retire or Just Want a Better Life Now?

If you’re in your 40s, chances are you’re not chasing a traditional retirement stopping work at 65 and walking away forever.

Yet most financial advice still assumes that’s the plan:

Work hard, save enough, retire in 20 years… then live the life you want.

You’ve seen the brochures the couple holding hands on the beach. It’s what we’ve all been conditioned to aim for.

But here’s the real problem with that story:

It puts all the focus on “later” and very little on living a great life now.

Retirement Was Built for a Different World

Retirement made sense when people worked in mines, factories or physically demanding jobs. They were worn out. They needed to stop.

But your work might be different. It might be intense, but not physically exhausting. You might have flexibility, autonomy, or even the ability to work from anywhere.

So why plan your life as if it all begins at 65?

The Cost of Waiting for “Someday”

Yes, you still need to:

Know your financial freedom number

Understand your pension and investment options

Build your wealth strategically in your 40s

Plan for future flexibility

But what if you don’t make it to retirement?

What if your health changes, or your energy shifts?

What trips, experiences, or memories might you miss because you weren’t sure you could afford them?

What if you flipped the whole thing and designed a life you didn’t want to retire from?

So What Does That Look Like?

It means planning for the future but not at the expense of living well now.

What would life look like if you focused more on what makes you happy today?

If you lived in line with your values whether thats freedom, family, health, community?

Your financial priorities might still include:

• Helping your kids with university or a deposit

• Buying that dream holiday home

• Making work optional

• Changing career paths entirely

Your version of success is unique. But the goal is the same: alignment.

The Biggest Challenge? You’re Not Sure What You Want

Here’s what I see most often:

You’ve spent years raising kids, building a career or a business… doing everything you were meant to do.

And now? Something feels off. You’re successful on paper but misaligned in life.

One of the hardest things is simply giving yourself the space and time to ask:

What do I actually want?

Balancing Now vs. Later - Without the Guilt

How do you enjoy today while still preparing for tomorrow?

How do you make good decisions now, without feeling like you're being irresponsible?

It’s not either/or.

Living well now and planning wisely can co-exist

In fact, having a plan can give you more freedom to enjoy life today.

Start by Getting Clear

When I work with clients, I always start with the life stuff first. These are simple, powerful questions you can ask yourself too:

What do you value most?
What’s most important to you right now?
What would your ideal future look like?

What would you regret not doing?
What does your ideal week feel like?
If money weren’t a worry, what work would you choose?

For some, the life you want is already within reach.
For others, it might mean real change. Either way, the starting point is clarity.

Once you know your values, your vision, and your priorities, then you can start to build the structure to support them.

Client Story: Realignment in Action

A client in their 40s with teenage kids realised they wanted to focus on shared experiences while they still had the chance.

They restructured their business to take August off travelling in a motorhome with their family.

That wasn’t just about having a financial plan.
That was designing a life with purpose, a life they didn’t want to retire from.

A Note on Purpose

You can have the pension, the house, the portfolio - and still feel like something’s missing.

What’s often missing is alignment. That sense that your time, money, and life are pulling in the same direction.

“You need enough money to sleep well at night and enough purpose to get up in the morning.”
Mitch Anthony

Your Exercise This Week

Grab a notepad and sketch out your ideal week.

What would you do?
What would it feel like?
What would make you smile?
What do you want more of?

Don’t worry about whether it’s “realistic.”
There are no limitations here - just permission to explore.

And if you’re feeling brave, share a bit of it in the comments.

Final Thought

If you’re in your 40s and feeling a little disconnected like something’s not quite clicking  

You don’t need to retire.
You need to realign.

What I Do

I work with high-achieving professionals and business owners who feel successful on paper, but have a nagging sense that something’s off.

If you’re ready to think deeper, realign your wealth with your values and make confident, intentional decisions get in touch

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