Hey Mindsetters! TGIF and welcome to The Retired Mindset’s second rendition of Five Minute Friday!
Podcast Host, Bob Preston, shares his biggest surprise about retirement — it’s harder than it seems. Most of us spend years dreaming about retirement: freedom, travel, long mornings, no deadlines. But when it finally arrives, you realize… this is a massive life shift: one that touches your identity, your routine, and your sense of purpose.
Main Reflection
For decades, work gave Bob structure, direction, accountability, and even self-worth. He didn’t realize how much of who he was was tied to that professional identity until it was gone.
And he learned something: you can’t just subtract work. You have to replace it with something meaningful.
Personal Story / Turning Point
It took me a good six months to find my footing. He started paying attention to what gave him energy — what made him feel alive, curious, and connected.
And for Bob, that meant three things:
- Giving back — donating my time as an advocate and ambassador.
- Mountain life — living part-time in the Eastern Sierra and skiing as much as I can (without going full-on ski bum).
- Storytelling — creating, sharing, and connecting through The Retired Mindset.
Insight / Lesson
It’s not just about staying busy — retirement is about redefining success.
In your career, success is measurable: goals hit, deals closed, teams led.
In retirement, it’s quieter. It’s found in peace of mind, connection, giving back, and learning something new.
That’s the real growth in retirement — learning to slow down without losing purpose, to enjoy the moment without needing constant validation,
and to stay curious about what’s next, even when there’s no formal roadmap.
Wrap-Up / Close
So yeah, it’s hard. But it’s also one of the most rewarding journeys you will ever take. Retirement isn’t an ending — it’s an evolution. Give yourself grace. Stay curious. Keep exploring. Because the best version of yourself? It hasn’t retired at all — it’s just getting started.
Key Takeaways
- Retirement is a significant identity shift, not just a lifestyle change.
- You don’t just lose a job — you lose structure, community, and rhythm.
- The secret is to replace work with something meaningful that gives you purpose and energy.
- Redefine success — it’s now about peace, connection, and curiosity, not performance metrics.
- Give yourself time and grace — your next chapter might just be your best yet.
Join us as we post new episodes weekly!
Connect with Bob: BobbyP@theretiredmindset.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, TheRetiredMindset.com.
Episode Transcript
The Retired Mindset, Five Minute Friday.
Short episodes in five minutesor less.
FMF is a five-minute burst ofinspiration, at least I hope so
for you, to launch your weekendevery Friday, every week, in
five minutes or less.
Now, I've started my winter gigin the ski resort area of
(00:26):
Mammoth Mountain, California inthe eastern Sierra.
So look where I am today here.
I'm at Twin Lakes on the backside of Mammoth Mountain, fresh
snow on the ground, the lake'salready freezing, waterfalls
behind me, and it's an absolutebluebird day.
What I want to talk about todayis one of my biggest surprises
about retirement, at least forme, is that it's not as easy as
(00:49):
it seems.
You spend years dreaming aboutit, planning for it, counting
down to it.
You picture freedom, travel,long mornings, and no deadlines.
But then it arrives, andsuddenly you realize this is a
huge shift, one that touchesevery part of your life, your
identity, your routine, yourpurpose.
For decades, my life wasstructured around work.
(01:11):
It gave me direction,accountability, and a sense of
who I was.
And I didn't fully realize howmuch of my self-worth was tied
up to my professional identityuntil that was gone.
One day people stopped askingyou about, hey, what's your next
big project or deal?
And instead they ask, oh, how'sretirement?
And you kind of smile and nod,at least that's what I did.
Hey, it's great.
(01:32):
But inside, I was stillfiguring out what that actually
meant.
The truth is, when I left theworking world, I didn't just
give up a paycheck.
I gave up structure, you gaveup community, I gave up that
daily rhythm that's part of yourDNA for decades.
And suddenly your calendar iswide open.
And that feels both liberatingbut also disorienting.
(01:54):
In those early months, I foundmyself drifting a bit, the days
blur together, I missed thechallenge, the collaboration,
even sometimes the chaos.
And I had to learn somethingimportant.
You can't just subtract work,you have to replace it with
something you're passionateabout and something that's
meaningful.
So, in all honesty, thatprocess took me a good six
(02:15):
months to get used to.
I was not fully ready to stepaway.
I started a consulting businessand was focusing on my property
management podcast, PropertyManagement Brainstorm.
But it was good to take thatsix months or so to give it a
lot of thought, figure out thatmy passion truly lied elsewhere.
So I started paying attention towhat gave me energy, what made
(02:38):
me feel curious, alive, andconnected.
And for me, that turned out tobe three different things.
Number one, giving back anddedicating myself to donating my
time as an advocate andambassador.
Living in the eastern Sierra,here I am today, part-time, and
getting as much time on skis asI possibly can without being a
(02:59):
total ski bum.
I work for the mountain safetyteam here in Mammoth Mountain,
so I'm really, I'm not really aski bum.
But my creative outlet alsoneeded that creativity, sharing
ideas, which led to the retiredmindset.
This podcast became more than ahobby.
It became my new passion and away of contributing, connecting,
and honestly reinventingmyself.
(03:20):
But what I found is not justabout finding a project.
It was about redefining whatsuccess looks like.
In our careers, success is verymeasurable.
Goals hit, deals closed, teamsare led.
In retirement, it's quieter.
It's measured in moments, peaceof mind, connection with people
(03:40):
you love, and the satisfactionof giving back or learning
something new.
And I've realized a lot ofthings along the way, and that's
that the real growth edge ofretirement, learning to slow
down without losing purpose, toenjoy the moment without needing
constant validation, and tostay curious about what's next
and when there's no formalroadmap.
So yeah, the transition's beenhard for me, I'm not gonna lie.
(04:04):
But it's also one of the mostrewarding journeys I've ever
taken.
And it's not an ending, it's anevolution.
And if you give yourself grace,stay curious, and keep
exploring, you might find thatthe best version of yourself
hasn't retired at all.
It's just getting started.
So hey, thank you for joining meon this Friday, on your Friday.
(04:24):
Have a great weekend.
And here's a quick, shamelessplug to please pay it forward
with a subscribe, review, orlike.
Those kind of things mean a lotto us podcasters.
Happy Friday, and I'll catchy'all next week.
The Retired Mindset, 5 MinuteFriday.
Short episodes in five minutesor less.
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