Why Your Existential Retirement Plan Shouldn’t Look Like Your Neighbor’s

Written by Steve Sandoval, Ph.D.

Founder, The Flourishing Retiree

If you’ve ever googled “how to retire well,” you’ve probably seen charts, percentages, and financial experts with strong opinions about how much money you should be pulling from your accounts each year. One group swears by the 4% rule, another swears it’s 8%, and a third group shrugs and says, “It depends.” (My favorite kind of answer.)

And truthfully? They’re all kind of right.

That’s because no single number works for everyone. A 57-year-old with a pension and no mortgage is in a different boat than a 75-year-old supporting adult children or facing rising healthcare costs. And you know what? The same “it depends” principle applies to the non-financial side of retirement too.

There’s No “Standard Model” in Retirement

We’re used to thinking of retirement in terms of numbers. Savings accounts, withdrawal rates, investment returns. And sure, those things are absolutely important. But ask any retiree who’s been at this for more than five minutes (and I have) and they’ll tell you: money alone doesn’t answer the big questions, like:

• What do I actually want to do with all this time that was defined before?

• How do I stay active and connected now that I’m not working?

• Where will I find purpose, now that I’m not tied to a job?

• What does a “good day” look like now?

There’s no one right answer to any of these. Why? Because you're not a spreadsheet. You're a whole human being with a history, values, quirks, and goals that probably don’t match your poker buddy’s or your sister-in-law’s or the guy at the gym who keeps talking about his RV.

At The Flourishing Retiree, we start with that premise. We’re not here to sell you a

10-step plan for “doing retirement right.” We’re here to help you design a life that feels right for you.

Existentialism: The Fancy Word for “You Get to Choose”

We base our work on something called existentialism—again, which sounds like a college philosophy class, but stay with me.

Existentialism basically says: You get to choose your path. At its core, existentialism is the belief that you are the one who gives your life meaning—not your job, not your title, not society’s expectations. You.

Life isn’t pre-written. Meaning isn’t handed to you by a job or a paycheck or society’s expectations. You create it through the choices you make and the values you live by.

So, when we work with clients, we’re not trying to force your retirement into a mold. We’re trying to help you figure out what your mold looks like—and then work alongside you to fill it in.

Whether you’re a solo traveler, a doting grandparent, a competitive pickleball’er, or someone rediscovering their creative interests—YOUR vision of flourishing matters. And more importantly, it deserves a plan.

One Size Fits… Absolutely No One

If you’ve ever tried on one-size-fits-all clothing, you know how ridiculous that label is. Same goes for retirement. Some folks crave structure; others crave spontaneity. Some want to volunteer, some want to sleep in. Some want to explore their spirituality, others want to finally take that ceramics class. None of these is wrong.

The real “wrong” is assuming there’s some universal formula that works for everyone. That mindset can be damaging and leads to comparison, confusion, and a whole lot of “shoulds.”

At The Flourishing Retiree, we ditch the “shoulds” and focus on you. We use a tool I created called the Existential Vitality Index™ (EVI)—a fancy name for a very practical assessment that helps you see where you’re thriving and where you could use a nudge. We look at four core areas—Active Health, Relational Health, Spiritual Health, and Restful Health—all strongly associated with the flourishing research and each with simple steps to help you grow based on your real goals, not someone else’s list.

Bottom Line: “It Depends” Is the Best Place to Start

I know “it depends” can feel like a non-answer. But in retirement, it’s the truest answer there is. It depends on you. Your age. Your energy. Your dreams. Your health. Your history. Your relationships. Your desire to make a difference.

So, let’s start there. Not with a pre-packaged plan. But with a conversation. Because when you understand yourself deeply, you can design a retirement that’s not just livable—but flourishing.

And that, my friend, is something no Monte Carlo Study or financial calculator can measure.

Two friends joyfully shaking hands against a lively pink background, celebrating their friendship with smiles.

Want to explore what your version of flourishing looks like? Let’s talk. Visit www.theflourishingretiree.net and take the first step in designing a retirement that fits you.