S6 Ep 96 - Why Your Brain Isn't Built for Retirement: Modern Software, Ancient Hardware!

Retirement is a modern invention, but your brain didn't get the upgrade. In this episode, I unpack why so many retirees feel restless, guilty, or underwhelmed, even when life looks "perfect on paper." It's not because something is wrong with you, it's because you're trying to run a 21st-century life on Stone Age wiring.

I explore the mismatch between modern retirement and ancient survival instincts, why you struggle to relax, why doing nothing feels uncomfortable, why spending feels risky, and why your brain craves purpose, progress and tribe. Most importantly, I share how to retrain your mind for this new chapter, without fighting your biology.

What You'll Learn

• Why retirement feels unsettling (and why it's not your fault)

• The clash between modern freedom and caveman brain wiring

• How dopamine, productivity and survival instincts mess with your retirement mindset

• Why your brain resists rest, spending and stillness

• Five ways to "upgrade the software" — from micro-missions to novelty, contribution and healthy discomfort

• How to feel useful, alive and excited again in retirement

Challenge of the Week

👉 Pick one "Brain Upgrade" and try it for 7 days:

• Set a Micro Mission (e.g. walk 10k steps daily, plan a trip, finish a book)

• Add Novelty — try something new for 30 minutes a day

• Create Contribution — teach, help, give or mentor someone

• Introduce Healthy Discomfort — cold shower, tech-free evening, social challenge

At the end of the week ask: How did it feel? What did it teach me about what my brain needs?

Resources & Mentions

• Micro Missions, Contribution Loops & Novelty Windows — My behavioural retirement tools

Next Episode

Episode 11 — The Retirement Focus Ratio: Are You Solving the Wrong Problem? Why most retirement plans are 90% about money… but most retiree worries are 90% about life. And how to fix the imbalance.