What if “retirement” isn’t the finish line… it’s just a label we’ve outgrown? Don Akchin breaks down why the after-career chapter can be your most creative, meaningful season—if you treat it like a beginning, not a fade-out.

In this episode of Life & In Between, Diana and Patrick sit down with writer and former journalist Don Akchin to talk about the emotional reality of life after a career—and why the old idea of retirement doesn’t fit the world we’re living in anymore. Don introduces the concept of “The AfterWork”: a fresh, modern way to think about your post-career years as a new beginning instead of an ending.

You’ll hear why identity loss can hit hard when the work titles disappear, how structure matters more than people expect, and why experimenting (and even failing) becomes oddly liberating when the world isn’t grading you anymore. Don also shares a powerful lens from his book—“planners vs. wingers”—and why either approach can win… or crash… depending on how you stay connected to purpose. Along the way, the conversation gets real about relationships, loneliness, and the kind of wisdom that says: do your best work, but don’t let the work swallow your whole self.

Where to find Don (links)

• Don’s website (best one-stop shop): donakchin.com

• His newsletter on Substack — The EndGame: theendgame.substack.com

• His book — The AfterWork: Finding Fulfilling Alternatives to Retirement (Amazon):

Listen / watch

• 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sBKdruFkbqKZmPpvrrKTo?si=_iES7OEsQ0-PARLqpKc3VQ

• 🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retirement-is-dead-meet-the-afterwork-a-new/id1809054005?i=1000751060638

  
  

• ▶️ YouTube: https://youtu.be/K5Pzlk5jWbI?si=mFiXo_6rSYHzbf2r

  
  

• 🎵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/070e0e82-f222-45d0-9836-78d922968cab/episodes/977476ff-b534-4fd8-b237-22f5bd2a2588/retirement-is-dead-meet-the-afterwork-a-new-beginning-not-an-ending

• ▶️ iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-life-and-in-between-291557046/episode/retirement-is-dead-meet-the-afterwork-a-new-beginning-not-an-ending-324472432🌐 Website: ⁠www.lifeandinbetweenpodcast.com⁠