Why You Don't Actually Want Early Retirement: How to Make a Career Change at 40, 50, or 60 That Brings Real Career Alignment

Susan came to us with one goal: find something she could tolerate for the next seven years before she could finally retire and start living. Two weeks later, she wasn't retiring anymore, because she had finally found work that fit. In this episode, we break down why so many high performers in their 40s, 50s, and 60s mistake "I want to retire" for "I want to stop doing this." There's a specific psychological reason it happens, and there's a way to fix it that doesn't require waiting for retirement at all. What you'll learn: Why most people counting down to retirement aren't done with work, they just can't picture what else is possible The availability heuristic and how it traps high performers in jobs they've outgrown Three "systematic exposure" experiments that rewire what feels possible: the Goldilocks Conversation, the small side experiment, and the targeted course immersion Why being over 40 is the best time to change careers, and how the experience you've built becomes the asset that makes it work How Susan went from planning to retire in seven years to finding work she didn't want to retire from at all Our book, Happen To Your Career: An Unconventional Approach To Career Change and Meaningful Work, is now available on audiobook! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/audible to order it now! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/book for more information or buy the print or ebook here ! Want to chat with our team about your unique situation? Schedule a conversation Free Resources What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out! Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over. Related Episodes Should I Quit My Job? How to Know It's Time ( Spotify / Apple Podcasts ) Discover Your Strengths to Find Your Ideal Career ( Spotify / Apple Podcasts )

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Why You Don't Actually Want Early Retirement: How to Make a Career Change at 40, 50, or 60 That Brings Real Career Alignment is an episode from Happen to Your Career | A podcast for people who want Career Happiness ; Also Career Transition, Career Change Tools, Dream Job, Figure out what you want, Jobs, Strengths, How to Be Awesome at Your Job, by Scott Anthony Barlow.

This episode is 08:41 long.

This episode was published on May 21, 2026.

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