There’s so much information out there about the things we should do to plan and prepare for the next chapter of our lives.

There are a bunch of practical tips. There’s plenty of videos and blogs telling you about how the author or video presenter lives their ideal what happens next life.

There is loads of content from professionals like me designed to make you think in a different way and ask the right questions to enable and empower you to live the life you want.

But here’s the thing. Even though all of the blogs, and videos, and articles are earnestly designed to help. Often, they can simply add to the noise…

However, there’s one bit of brilliant news…

There’s one thing we can do today to get closer to the next chapter of our lives which really works for us that nobody really talks about.

So, in this blog, I want to talk about the one empowering reality that no one seems to talk about when it comes to retirement and the 4 ways you might want to use this power to live the next chapter you deserve.

You should live the next chapter of your life you deserve. However, what happens if we’re not entirely what this looks like for us.

We’ve read the blogs, we’ve watched the videos and we’re still not sure whether the retirement you’re told to aspire to you even want.

I completely get it. From my 20 years of working with clients like you as a chartered financial planner, let me tell you that you’re not alone and moving into the next chapter of your life can be an incredibly intimidating experience.

However, there’s one concept you need to be aware of to make the journey into the next chapter of your life at least (and this might be a bit of a broad estimate) between a thousand and a million times easier.

That’s the concept of rapid low-cost experimentation.

I first read about this concept in a brilliant book called “Design your life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

Rapid low-cost experimentation is exactly what it sounds like. It’s about testing small ideas quickly and cheaply before you commit to them fully.

Think of it like dipping your toe in the water before you decide whether you want to dive all the way in.

And here’s the empowering reality that no ones talk about when it comes to retirement:

You don’t need to know exactly what you want the rest of your life to look like before you start living it.

You just need to be willing to experiment.

That’s it.

Here’s 4 specific ways rapid low-cost experimentation can apply when you’re considering your retirement.

1. Experimenting with purpose and meaning

One of the most common questions I hear from clients is this:

“How do I find purpose when I retire?”

The reality is purpose doesn’t usually arrive like a lighting bolt. It’s not something you sit and meditate on until suddenly you have the perfect answer.

Purpose is something you discover by doing.

And the beauty of rapid low-cost experiments is that you don’t have to figure out your grand mission statement for the rest of your life before you begin.

You can try small, meaningful actions and see which one’s light you up.

Maybe you’re curious about mentoring young people. Instead of setting up a big formal program, you could just volunteer for a couple of hours at a local school or college. See how it feels.

Maybe you think you’d like to write a book. Don’t start with a 300-page manuscript. Start with a blog post, a short essay, or even a single story shared with friends.

Maybe you’ve always thought about working with a charity. Don’t sign up to sit on the board of trustees straight away. Try helping out with one event or campaign and notice whether it energises you or drains you.

The trick is to keep the stakes low and the pace quick.

Ask yourself: What’s the smallest version of this I could try in the next two weeks?

Then try it. Reflect. Adjust.

2. Experimenting with Relationships and community.

Here’s a reality that people often don’t prepare for in retirement:

When you step away from work, your circle of relationships usually shrinks. The day-to-day interactions you’ve relied on for decades, the chats with mates at work and the sense of belonging to a team, can really quickly disappear.

And if you’re not careful, that can leave you feeling isolated.

But just as you can experiment with purpose, you can also experiment with building new connections.

You don’t have to decided upfront what your new community should look like. You can test out different circles until you find the ones that feel right.

Maybe you’re curious about joining a walking group. Don’t overthink it. Show up once, see what the vibe is like, and then decide if you want to go again.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to try singing in a choir. Instead of committing to a full concert session, join a taster session or a one-off workshop.

Maybe you want to meet people outside of your usual circle. Try a course at your local commnity college, a book club at the libary, or even something as simple as a “meet-up” group for shared interests.

And don’t underestimate digital comunities. Online groups can be an incredible way to find people who share your passions – whether that’s photography, gardening, writing, or even learning a new skill like coding or podcasting.

Again, the power of experimentation is that nothing has to be permanent. You can try one group, and if it doesn’t click, no harm done. You move onto the next.

And the more experiments you run, the more you expand your network of connections and opportunities for joy and belonging.

By the way, if you’d like a little extra help with this, I’ve created two free resources for you…

First, if you’d like to get a head start on designing your next chapter, you can join the waiting list for my new book “What Happens Next.” It’s coming out next year, and it’s full of stories, tools, and strategies – like the rapid low-cost experiments we’ve been talking about – that will help you move into your next chapter with clarity and confidence. You can find a link to this here.

Or if you want something you can use straight away, you can take the “What Happens Next” quiz. In just a few minutes, it highlights which areas of your wellbeing – purpose, health, relationships, or lifestyle – might need the most attention now. Think of it as your personalised starting point for experimentation. You can take this quiz for free right here.

3. Experimenting with lifestyle and daily rhythm.

This is one of the most underestimated parts of retirement.

When you’ve been working for 30 or 40 years, your daily rhythm has been largely dictated by someone else. Work gave your days structure, deadlines, and routines.

When that disappears, it can be liberating – but also disorientating.

I’ve had clients tell me, “I thought I’d love having all the time in the world. But now, I don’t even know what day it is, and I feel strangely restless.”

This is where rapid low-cost experimentation can be a game-changer.

Instead of assuming you’ll naturally fall into the perfect daily rhythm, treat your days like experiments.

Try differernt versions of a “retirement day” and see what feels good.

One week, you might try having a slow morning routine – reading the paper, a long coffee, a bit of exercise.

The next week, you might try structuring your mornings around focused projects – writing, learning, or working on a hobby – and leaving the afternoon free.

Another week, you could experiment with batching your activities: Monday for errands, Tuesday for creativity, Wednesday for volunteering, Thursday for socialising, Friday for exploration.

Think of it like test-driving different models of your day until you find the one that fits best.

And here’s the secret: the rhythm that works best for you today might not be the rhythm that works best six months, six years or two decades from now. That’s absolutely fine.

It’s about experimenting with your time to find the right balance for you today recognising that nothing needs to be permanent.

4. Experimenting with Work, Money, and Contribution

Now, this is a big one.

For many people, the idea of “retirement” used to mean stopping work entirely. But more and more, people in their 50s and 60s are saying:

“I don’t actually want to stop working. I just want to do work I love to do with the freedom and flexibility to do it when I want.”

Maybe you want to consult a few days a week instead of working full-time.

Maybe you want to explore a side project or turn a hobby into a small income stream.

Maybe you’re curious about volunteering your professional skills for causes you care about.

The beauty of rapid low-cost experimentation is that you don’t need to decide all this in advance.

You can test it out.

Want to see if freelancing suits you? Take on one small project and see how it feels.

Thinking about teaching or mentoring? Run a one-off workshop before you commit to something bigger.

Curious about starting an online business? Don’t build a website, order business cards, and spend months planning. Test your idea by offering it to three people in your network and see what happens.

Also, maybe you don’t stop doing what you’re currently doing immediately. Maybe instead of quitting your job today and being retired tomorrow (what we often call ‘falling off the retirement cliff’), the path to the next chapter of your life work wise is a smooth flight path down to the next chapter.

The point here is that experimentation related to work lets you de-risk your decisions.

Instead of making huge financial or work-related changes all at once, you test them on a small scale first. That way, you learn quickly what works for you and then take the next small incremental action to enable you to ensure the decisions you’re making today are really working for you.

The Bigger Picture

Now, here’s the thing.

You don’t have to treat your next chapter like a giant unsolvable puzzle. You don’t need the perfect plan.

You just need to run lots of small, low-cost experiments.

And when you do, a couple of magical things happen:

You stop feeling stuck, because you’re moving forward, even in small steps.

You start learning what actually brings you joy and meaning, instead of just guessing.

You build confidence, because you realise you don’t have to have it all figured out – you just need to keep experimenting.

So, if you’re in your 50s or 60s and you’re looking at the blank canvas of retirement and feeling overwhelmed, remember this:

Your next chapter doesn’t arrive fully formed. You design it by experimenting.

That’s the empowering reality no one talks about.

And it’s available to you right now.

So, what’s the first little experiment towards the life you want to live that you’re going to make today?

One small experiment you can do right now is watch another one of the videos on What Happens next (see what I did there!) and there’s two I’d specifically recommend…

In this video I talk about the paradox of choice we face in retirement, something low cost experimentation can help us overcome

And 

Because one of the small experiments you can make is to travel to somewhere new… In this video I share the 12 retirement travel destinations you should consider today.