I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had this conversation with clients. You’ve been dreaming of retirement for years — no alarm clocks, no meetings, no deadlines. Just you, your favorite chair, and all the time in the world. Sounds perfect, right?
Whether you’re already retired or still five to 10 years away from that magic date, here’s what I keep hearing from folks about six months into their “endless vacation”: something feels off. That initial euphoria of freedom starts wearing thin. You might feel restless, maybe even a little lost. If this sounds familiar, trust me — you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not doing retirement wrong.
The Extended Vacation Myth
I see so many people approach retirement thinking it’ll be like a permanent weekend. While I’m all for relaxation (goodness knows you’ve earned it!), research shows that treating retirement as one long vacation can actually hurt your health and longevity. Here’s the thing — vacations are meant to be temporary breaks from purposeful activity. When there’s no purposeful activity to return to, that break loses its meaning pretty quickly.
The Science That Got My Attention
This research absolutely fascinated me. In a 2008 study of more than 50,000 people, researchers found that 95% of folks who had ikigai (a Japanese concept meaning “reason for being”) were still alive seven years later compared to only 83% who didn’t have this sense of purpose. That’s a 12-percentage-point difference in survival rates — simply from having purpose!
American research backs this up too. Studies using our own Health and Retirement Study data showed that purposeful people lived longer during 14-year follow-up periods, even when researchers controlled for other health factors. And get this — Japanese research found that having ikigai was linked to a 31% lower risk of developing functional disability and 36% lower risk of dementia. These aren’t small numbers, friends.
What Purpose Actually Looks Like
Now, before you panic thinking you need to cure cancer or start the next Amazon, let me ease your mind. The Japanese concept of ikigai is beautifully simple — iki means “to live” and gai means “reason.” For many of those amazing Okinawan centenarians, purpose might be tending a small garden, mentoring young people, or keeping community traditions alive.
I’ve seen clients find incredible purpose in volunteering at the food bank, mentoring someone in their old profession, finally learning to paint, caring for grandchildren, or even taking on meaningful part-time work. Ikigai loosely translates to “the happiness of always being busy” — and notice it’s not “always stressed” or “overwhelmed,” but genuinely engaged in something that matters.
Created for Purpose
As many of you know, my Christian faith shapes how I see the world, and I believe this research simply confirms what Scripture has taught us all along — we were created to be purposeful beings. From the very beginning, God designed us to be active participants in His world, not just observers watching life go by.
This deep need for purpose doesn’t suddenly disappear when we hit 65 or accumulate enough in our 401(k). The restlessness so many of you describe in those early retirement months isn’t a character flaw — it’s actually evidence that you’re functioning exactly as God designed you. We were made to contribute, to serve, to use our gifts for something bigger than ourselves.
Here’s what I find beautiful about this season of life: retirement can finally free you to pursue the purposes that matter most to your heart, not just your paycheck. Some of my most fulfilled clients tell me their retirement years became their most meaningful precisely because they could finally align their daily activities with their deepest values.
Finding Your Purpose
If you’re sitting there thinking, “This sounds wonderful, but I honestly have no idea what my purpose is,” please don’t panic. Purpose isn’t something you find once and stick with forever — it evolves. Many of those long-lived folks in the studies picked up brand new purposes well into their retirement years.
If you’re still working: You’re actually in the perfect spot to start exploring. You have the luxury of testing out potential purposes without the pressure of them becoming your main source of meaning right away. Maybe try volunteering a few hours a month somewhere that sparks your interest, take that art class you’ve been putting off, or gradually get more involved in causes you care about.
If you’re already retired: You’re in excellent company with those centenarians who discovered new passions in their 80s and 90s. It’s never too late to begin.
Here are some questions I ask my clients:
- What activities make you completely lose track of time?
- What problems in your community or the world genuinely bother you?
- What knowledge or skills do you have that others could really benefit from?
- What would you regret not trying if you looked back in ten years?
The Bottom Line
Here’s what I want you to remember: retirement isn’t about earning the right to do nothing — it’s about earning the freedom to do what truly matters to you. The research is crystal clear: people with purpose live longer, stay healthier, and report much greater life satisfaction.
So absolutely, enjoy those lazy Saturday mornings and guilt-free afternoon naps. You’ve earned every single one of them. But also take some time to ask yourself: What’s my reason for being in this next chapter? Your future self — and your family — will thank you for figuring it out.
Let’s Talk About This
Finding your purpose in retirement — or preparing for it if you’re still working — honestly might be one of the most important conversations we can have as we plan for your next chapter. I have additional resources I’d love to share with you about how purpose intersects with your financial planning and overall retirement strategy.
We can explore not just whether your money will last, but how to make these years truly count. Whether you’re five years out or five years into retirement, I’m here to help. Let’s discover together how your financial plan can support the purposeful retirement you were created to live. Just give me a call — you know I always love hearing from you.