Navigating Life After Work
Written By: Stephen Davis, CFP®, ChFC®, APMA®
Published: August 2025
Retirement is a milestone many people look forward to for decades. You’ve worked hard, saved diligently, and reached the point where work is now optional. That alone is an achievement worth celebrating. But once the retirement party ends and the routine of daily work fades, many retirees are left wondering: What now?
At Fairvoy Private Wealth, we bring decades of experience helping individuals and couples prepare for and navigate retirement. Over the years, we have walked alongside our clients through this transition. While retirement can be incredibly fulfilling, it often comes with unexpected changes, particularly in areas such as identity, purpose, and daily routine. Here are a few insights and strategies to help you navigate life after work
1. Life Feels Different Without Work
Whether you worked in a corporate office, owned a business, or managed a household, your sense of purpose has likely been tied to your work. Many new retirees report feeling a subtle loss of identity, especially in the first year.
It’s important to recognize this shift and give yourself permission to feel a bit unsettled. After all, you’ve likely spent 30–40 years in a structured environment where your contributions were recognized and valued. Retirement brings freedom, but also a blank calendar that can feel overwhelming without direction.
Tip: A great deal of time is often spent on preparing financially for retirement, while ignoring the impact retirement brings to your life. Take time to reflect on what gave you satisfaction at work. Was it mentoring younger professionals? Solving problems? Leading a team? That same drive can be redirected into new, meaningful pursuits.
2. The Social Shift: Replacing Workplace Connection
One of the most surprising changes in retirement is the absence of casual, everyday social interactions. Coffee break conversations, office banter, and team meetings may have been routine, but they were also deeply human moments of connection. Without a plan, some retirees feel isolated. And social isolation has been shown to impact both emotional and physical health.
Retirement doesn’t just affect you. If you’re married, your spouse may have had their own routine during your working years. Maybe they enjoyed a quiet house during the day or had habits built around your schedule. Suddenly, you’re both home. All day. Every day. Retirement is a wonderful chance to reconnect, but it also calls for mutual understanding and respect for each other’s routines. This is a topic that has come up many times during my career in helping clients transition to retirement.
Tip: Have an open conversation about what a typical day might look like for each of you. Consider scheduling solo time, shared time, and even “do your own thing” time. Just like a good investment portfolio, balance is key.
And if you’re single, the same principle applies. Be intentional about filling the social gaps left by work. Whether it’s volunteering, group fitness, or getting involved in your community, finding ways to stay socially active is one of the best things you can do for your overall well-being.
3. Creating Purpose and Structure
Retirement is not just about stepping away from work. It is about creating a life that feels meaningful to you. The happiest retirees I have worked with over the years are the ones who build some kind of routine into their week. They have a sense of purpose, and they continue to set personal goals that give their days direction.
That purpose looks different for everyone. For some, it might be spending more time with family or catching up on travel. For others, it could be picking up a hobby that had been put on the back burner for years.
I have met people who enjoy staying active by driving for a rideshare service like Uber or delivering packages a few days a week. Others serve in their local church, volunteer for a charity, or take on part-time work in a completely new field. I have even seen retirees start small businesses doing something they love simply because they now have the time to explore it. One of our clients, who was in construction and planning, took a part-time job at a local hardware store to help others.
You do not have to fill every hour of the day. The point is to be intentional with how you spend your time.
Tip: Think about what a good day looks like to you. Is it time spent with people you care about? Is it learning something new? Maybe it is simply having a bit of structure that helps you feel productive. Whatever it is, retirement gives you the space to make that vision a reality.
4. Financial Confidence Fuels Peace of Mind
Even with a well-thought-out financial plan, it is completely normal to wonder if you are truly ready to retire. Questions like “Can I afford this?” or “Will my money last?” do not always go away the moment work ends.
At Fairvoy, we look at retirement as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. A solid plan should not only help you reach retirement but also support you through the years that follow. As life changes, your plan should adapt to it.
Our role is to help guide you through each step, making sure your financial strategy continues to support the life you want to live.
Tip: Plan regular check-ins to review your finances and adjust if needed. These conversations help reinforce your confidence and keep everything aligned with your goals.
5. Staying Healthy Supports Your Retirement Journey
Health is one of the most important parts of a successful retirement. You have worked hard to reach this point, and taking care of your body and mind helps you make the most of the years ahead.
Staying healthy does not have to mean running marathons or spending hours in the gym. The key is to stay active in ways that you enjoy and can maintain over time. Walking, swimming, light strength training, stretching, and staying socially engaged all support better physical and mental health.
Many people find that joining a class or group helps them stay consistent. Whether it is a local walking group, yoga class, or even ballroom dancing, being active with others makes it more enjoyable. Other clients of ours enjoy gardening, working around the house, or just setting a step goal each day to stay moving.
A strong routine that includes movement, healthy meals, and sleep can go a long way toward improving both physical health and mental clarity. The goal is to stay independent, energized, and confident in your day-to-day life.
Tip: Choose one or two ways to stay active that you enjoy and can do regularly. It might be as simple as a daily walk after breakfast or light weights two or three times a week. Small, consistent habits often make the biggest difference.
Final Thought
Planning for retirement takes time, focus, and discipline. Now that you are here, the question becomes how to make the most of it. Whether that means staying active, connecting with others, or simply enjoying your time more fully, we are here to support your goals in every way we can. At Fairvoy, we believe that true retirement planning includes helping you live the life you worked so hard to build. Contact us for information on how we can help!
Stephen Davis, CFP®, ChFC®, APMA®, serves as Managing Partner and Senior Private Wealth Advisor of Fairvoy Private Wealth. As a Founding Partner of Fairvoy, Stephen helped establish the firm to prioritize providing a personalized client-first approach. With over 26 years of experience, Stephen provides investment advice, portfolio management, and financial planning to help clients reach their financial goals. His journey began in 1999 at Merrill Lynch, where he served as a financial advisor in the Birmingham market. Early in his career, Stephen earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) certification and the Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) designation. In 2023, he furthered his education by earning the Accredited Portfolio Management Advisor™ (APMA®) designation. Stephen enjoys playing the piano, cherishing moments at Lake Martin, and serving his community as a member of a local civic club. He also is a instrument rated private pilot, which is he enjoys on a regular basis.
Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)
The CFP Designation is issued by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. To earn the credential, each candidate must have a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university and three years of full-time personal financial planning experience. In addition, candidates must take the CFP Certification examination and complete a CFP-board registered program or hold an accepted designation, degree or license. Every two years, a CFP practitioner must complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education. More information regarding the CFP designation can be found at www.cfp.net.
Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)
The ChFC® is offered by The American College. To receive the ChFC® designation, you must successfully complete all courses in your selected program, meet experience requirements and ethics standards, and agree to comply with The American College Code of Ethics and Procedures. Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®)) designation is obtained by completing 6 core, 2 elective courses and a final exam for each course. As a prerequisite the IAR must have 3 years of full-time business experience within the 5 years preceding the awarding of the designation. This designation requires 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
APMA® – Accredited Portfolio Management AdvisorSM