The Flourishing Retiree: Living Beyond the Numbers

Written by Steve Sandoval, Ph.D.

Founder, The Flourishing Retiree

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Retirement isn’t a beach chair and a bottomless mimosa for the rest of your life. For a few lucky (and probably bored) people, maybe it is. But for most of us—especially those of us who’ve spent decades leading, fixing, thinking, and helping others—retirement isn’t an end. It’s a pivot. And like any big pivot, it can feel liberating one minute and wildly unsettling the next.

So, here’s the question most financial advisors aren’t asking: You’ve planned for your retirement—great. 

But have you planned for the rest of your life?

Welcome to The Flourishing Retiree, where we stop fixating on whether you’ve “saved enough” and start asking if you’re living well enough.

The Two Buckets: Only One Keeps You Sane

Let’s break it down. Retirement success has two main buckets:

• The Financial Bucket: The usual suspects—401(k)s, IRAs, annuities, withdrawal strategies, Monte Carlo simulations that look like they were designed by a caffeinated statistician. If this bucket is full, congratulations—you can afford to keep your lights on and not live on peanut butter toast.

  
  

• The Existential Bucket: This one? Way more interesting. And frankly, way more neglected.

  
  

This is where the real stuff lives: identity, purpose, connection, health, peace of mind. It’s not about surviving. It’s about flourishing.

We built the Existential Vitality Index™ (EVI) for exactly this reason.

Existentialism Without all the Pretentiousness

Now, before you back away slowly from the word existential, don’t worry. We’re not about to sit around a smoky café quoting Kant. Here’s what “existential” means in this context:

Your life doesn’t come with built-in meaning. YOU GET TO CHOOSE.

Yes, that’s a little scary. But it’s also liberating. It means retirement doesn’t come with a script—you get to write it. And the EVI? It’s your co-author.

The Four Domains of Existential Health

A Framework Built on Real Life, Not Stuff of Fantasy

Just like a solid house needs four sturdy corners, your post-career life depends on four foundational domains. Within each are subdomains that help you zoom in on what’s working—and what needs serious updating.

1. Active Health

Vitality doesn’t come from a pill or a Peloton alone.

• Exercise & Movement: It’s not about crushing marathons—it’s about staying mobile, nimble, and not treating stairs like Pikes Peak.

• Nutrition & Nourishment: What you eat is either building your future self or quietly plotting against it—if not now then later.

• Energy & Vitality: Energy is the currency of your days—how you spend it matters.

  
  

Retirement shouldn’t feel like you’re running on fumes. And “slowing down” doesn’t mean “letting go.”

2. Relational Health

Because who you’re with can matter as much as what you’re doing.

• Family & Close Connections: Let’s be honest—retirement gives you more time to enjoy (or repair) these bonds.

• Social Engagement & Friendship: Who do you laugh with? Who texts first? If your social life has flatlined, there may be work to do.

• Belonging: It’s not just about having people around you—it’s about feeling seen, valued, and part of something bigger than yourself.

  
  

Flourishing retirees invest in connection like it’s compound interest, which can pay dividends for life.

3. Spiritual Health

No incense required. This is about what lights your inner fire.

• Purpose: If your to-do list is empty but your soul is still restless, this one’s for you.

• Internal Growth: You’ve got wisdom to share—but also more to learn.

• Contribution & Giving Back: This isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about making a dent, however small, in the universe.

  
  

This domain is where you make your days count instead of counting them.

4. Restful Health

Rest is not laziness—it’s the secret weapon of flourishing.

• Sleep & Renewal: If you’re not sleeping well, everything else wobbles. Period.

• Mindful Recoupment: Can you reset after life socks you in the gut?

• Leisure & Rejuvenation: Do you remember what makes you feel like you again?

  
  

This is the domain where you trade hustle for harmony. Stillness, for once, is the strategy—not the enemy.

The EVI: Your Personal GPS for Livelihood.

Here’s how it works:

The Existential Vitality Index™ (EVI) is a simple but powerful self-assessment that helps you see—across all 12 subdomains—where you’re crushing it and where you might be coasting. No shame. No judgment. No grades. Just honest data that leads to thoughtful action that you choose (or not choose) to do. You see, that’s how existentialism works.

You’ll rate yourself on both mindsets (what you believe) and habits (what you actually do). Spoiler alert: those two don’t always match. But when they do? That’s where the magic happens.

Final Thoughts: Choose Boldly, Live Fully

Look, retirement isn’t a soft landing. It’s a launchpad for other potentially more fulfilling things. At least that’s the goal.

The question isn’t “What should I do now?” It’s “Who am I becoming now that I finally have the time?”

So yes, make sure the money lasts. But once that’s in place, the bigger question is: Are you living the life that makes your heart say, “This. This is why I made it this far.”

If the answer’s “not quite” or “I’m not sure,” don’t worry. That’s exactly where the journey begins.

Let’s discuss and design a retirement worth remembering.

Reach Out

To explore how you can thrive—not just survive—in retirement, reach me, Dr. Steve Sandoval, at theflourishingretiree@gmail.com. You can also find me on LinkedIn.

I offer self-serve options, one-on-one coaching, group seminars, and a healthy dose of practical optimism.

A retiree enjoying a community event, showcasing social connections and engagement.