Most people treat retirement planning like an Olympic sport, building spreadsheets, forecasting returns, and trying to engineer certainty in a world that's anything but certain. But here's the truth: no plan survives contact with real life.

In this episode, I unpack why traditional retirement plans often do more harm than good, creating false security, stifling adaptability, and ignoring the human side of money. You'll learn why the best retirement plan isn't a fixed prediction, but a living process that evolves with you. Because the plan isn't the point... You are.

What You'll Learn

• Why most traditional retirement plans fail (and how they create false security)

• The difference between planning and plans, and why adaptability wins every time

• The 5 elements of a Living Plan that actually work in the real world

• How to balance numbers with meaning and flexibility with confidence

• The question every retiree should ask: "Is my plan protecting me, or preventing me from living?"

Challenge of the Week

👉 Audit your plan — or your mindset about planning.

Ask yourself:

• Is my plan giving me clarity, confidence, and control, or just false certainty?

• Where am I clinging to a version of the future that no longer fits?

• What's one thing I could loosen, update, or rethink to make my plan feel more alive and aligned with who I am today?

You don't need to tear it up. Just tune it up, so it becomes a compass, not a cage.

Resources & Mentions

• Quote: James Clear — "You don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

• The Living Plan Framework: values-led, flexible, regularly refreshed, guardrails-based, emotionally supportive

Next Episode

Coming up in Episode 8: Tax, Death, and Rock 'n' Roll

Yes, we're going there. I dive into tax planning, inheritance, and legacy design… but without the doom and gloom. Expect honesty, humour, and a fresh take on how to make your final chapter feel meaningful... not morbid.