What Comes After Work Ends

After decades of work, Don Akchin found himself with too much time and very little structure. That moment marked the beginning of a new kind of work for Don: paying attention to what happens when careers end and the familiar routines of life fall away. Don Akchin is a writer and researcher who retired at 66 and began reflecting on his own experience alongside conversations with others navigating life after work. Over time, those observations became the foundation for his book The AfterWork, which explores how people find meaning, connection, and direction beyond their careers. We cover: Why the loss of structure can be one of retirement's biggest surprises How identity shifts once work is no longer central What Don learned from listening to others' retirement stories Why resilience matters more than having a perfect plan How Don rebuilt structure after leaving work Resources: Visit Don's website Follow Don on LinkedIn The AfterWork on Amazon Read The EndGame on Substack

You can listen to What Comes After Work Ends online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

What Comes After Work Ends is an episode from Chapter X with Michael Kay by Michael F Kay.

This episode is 28:36 long.

This episode was published on Jan 21, 2026.

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