353: A Retirement Dilemma: Wisdom You Need Before Leaving Full-Time Work with Steve Lopez

Today, I’m talking to Steve Lopez. Steve has been a writer for the Los Angeles Times since 2001 and a four-time Pulitzer Prize finalist. He’s won over a dozen national journalism awards and three local news Emmys, and he’s written three novels, including The Soloist, which was adapted into one of my favorite movies. 

In Steve’s new book, Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement from Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will, he explores the meaning of work and how it defines us in a combination of memoirs, interviews, and guidance. 

The book features conversations with a wide variety of people, including some who chose not to retire (like director Mel Brooks) and those who simply can’t retire, as well as aging scientists, geriatric specialists, and psychiatrists. 

In today’s conversation, Steve and I talk about what it means to live with purpose and passion, how to tell which of the five categories of retirees that you fall into, and the big financial trends we should all be thinking about as the world around us changes.

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In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

Why retirement isn’t necessarily about recreating your identity, but bringing a sense of identity with you into your next act. What Steve learned from retirees who didn’t have enough structure when their primary careers ended–and from guys like Mel Brooks and Norman Lear, who are happily working in their 90s and 100s. How boomers entering retirement with medical debt, climate change, and other factors are going to impact life for all of us, regardless of age.  What happened when Steve told his wife that working from home during COVID was a preview of retirement–and how they resolved the conflict that came from it. What it truly means to go where life is and do what replenishes you.

Show Notes: RetireWithPurpose.com/353

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