Finances are generally the focus of retirement planning and often there is little planning done in relation to what happens to your identity.
Redefining Yourself in Retirement explores thoughtful, real-life experiences from a diverse range of people, examining what made their transition to retirement easier, what proved challenging, and what they wish they had known.
Hosted by Pam Finnie, who combines her HR and academic research background to explore how identity evolves through life transitions, each episode brings together both lived experience and practical guidance.
These grounded, honest accounts reflect both the rewards and the complexities of this stage of life, drawing on perspectives from people who retired by choice and those whose journey took an unexpected turn.
Redefining Yourself in Retirement is relevant for anyone adjusting to or preparing for this next chapter of life.
Retirement: Living a Life That is Flexible and An On-Going Work in Progress
In this episode, we hear from Lesley, whose life has been a mix of work, home, and family, with little space for anything else. Like others, she talks about the amount of thinking needed to become clear on what retirement might look like.
Lesley set a date to retire - but it soon came with a sense that the timing wasn’t right. When asked to stay longer, she agreed, and has since negotiated a new end date that feels right for her and for the business.
While understanding the importance of having non-work related interests to ease the shift into retirement, Lesley's life left no time for any of that. Still, she’s confident that once she retires, she’ll finally have the time to build those activities into her life.
1 Sept 2026
One Minute You’re Centre‑Stage, the Next You’re Invisible with a Gold Card - Part 2
In part two of this conversation, we continue our chat with Chris. Chris shares some thought provoking insights into his experience of the transition to retirement. One thing he mentions is the invisibility that can come with being retired. Yet invisibility is never the whole story. Within it sits a quieter opportunity: the chance to redefine your visibility as you construct and negotiate your retirement identity - remembering that you are the driver of creating this new identity. Without the noise of workplace expectations, many people begin to notice parts of themselves that were previously overshadowed — creativity, curiosity, community, rest, contribution that isn’t tied to productivity. The challenge is not to fight invisibility, but to redefine it on your terms as you build new forms of being seen that feel genuine, chosen and relevant.
25 Aug 2026
One Minute You’re Centre‑Stage, the Next You’re Invisible with a Gold Card
In this episode, we hear from Chris who has had a varied (understatement) and interesting career. He finished university with a planning degree and then worked in a variety of roles in New Zealand and overseas before moving into the education sector. Chris shares some thought provoking insights into his experience of the transition to retirement. One thing he mentions is the invisibility that can come with being retired. Yet invisibility is never the whole story. Within it sits a quieter opportunity: the chance to redefine your visibility as you construct and negotiate your retirement identity - remembering that you are the driver of creating this new identity. Without the noise of workplace expectations, many people begin to notice parts of themselves that were previously overshadowed — creativity, curiosity, community, rest, contribution that isn’t tied to productivity. The challenge is not to fight invisibility, but to redefine it on your terms as you build new forms of being seen that feel genuine, chosen and relevant. 🪪📈🫥🫂
18 Aug 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement: How do you decide it is time to finally stop?
In this episode, we hear from Dave, whose career has been in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand. 🎙️ He reflects on the importance of pausing to consider who — or what — you are becoming as you move toward retirement. Dave has watched former colleagues step into retirement without thinking about how the transition might reshape their identity, routines, and relationships, and he’s clear about the value of preparing for that shift. Like others in this series, Dave factored in his responsibility to colleagues when considering the timing of his own retirement. He didn’t want to step away while the team was under pressure or short‑staffed. At the same time, he offers a grounded reminder: no one is truly indispensable. Organisations adapt, teams adjust, and the transition is ultimately part of a larger rhythm of working life.
11 Aug 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement: Ease Your Way Out: Making the Shift into Retirement Easier
In this episode, we hear from Trish who in hindsight sees that a gradual shift into retirement will give your identity time to adjust to not working fulltime. Easing into retirement means not suddenly stopping working fulltime and abruptly not having daily contact with colleagues or the routine of work. Instead, easing into retirement through such things as reducing your hours, lets you test new routines, build other social networks, explore and develop interests, and build confidence in a life beyond full‑time work. One surprise for Trish was how quickly the void left by no longer working was filled by other activities.
4 Aug 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement: The tradie who just wouldn’t stop until his body made him.
In this episode, we hear from Neil, a builder who owned his own business. Neil has a life that has been - and continues to be - well lived. I have known Neil for years and he was always on the verge of retiring. But there was always one more house to build, one more builder mate to help out, and then there would be another house to build. This went on for years...and years. So what slowed him down in the end – maybe realising it was his body that now needed (re)building. And even then he was heard to mutter maybe just one more house. Yes, he still wears a Swandri and gumboots (because they are comfortable) and drives a ute (because it pulls the boat). Neil talks about what he misses about working and what he doesn’t.
28 Jul 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement: One size does not fit all
In this episode, we hear from Amanda who sees retirement as a time to work out what makes you happy - not what everyone thinks should make you happy (and is often based on their experience of retirement). As you listen to Amanda’s story you will hear how she put a great deal of thought into what a successful retirement would mean for her. She is clear, that there is no one size fits all but there are things you can do to make the transition to retirement easier. Amanda also shares how two years prior to retiring, she deliberately tested her ability to survive on a reduced income, treating it as a practical rehearsal for the changes ahead.
21 Jul 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement There Is No Magic Wand — But Some Things Will Make Your Transition Easier
In this episode, we hear from Jenny who chose to leave her job five years earlier than planned, after her husband had a health scare. This was to ensure they fully enjoyed the retirement they had saved hard to have.
As you listen to Jenny’s story, you’ll hear how her well‑developed non‑work identity — which she continues to grow — supported her through the transition. It is clear Jenny reshaped her life after leaving work, without losing herself in the process.
Pam’s research into how people transition to retirement, highlighted the importance of having a strong non‑work identity before retiring, to make the shift significantly easier.
14 Jul 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement: When Work Stops but Life Doesn’t
Everyone, no matter who they are, works through a transition process as they move towards retirement. Grief can be felt as people work through who they are going to be, and what they are going to do, in retirement. Transition is an ongoing work-in-progress and there is no 'one size fits all'.
During this episode, Lisel — who is self‑employed and moving towards full retirement — shares her retirement journey so far.
Throughout this podcast series expect your thinking about retirement to be challenged as Pam blend’s her guests’ real experiences with thought‑provoking, practical insights drawn from her recent research into the transition to retirement.
7 Jul 2026
Redefining Yourself in Retirement: Retired but Not Expired
As baby boomers are: living longer, healthier, better educated, and know they still have much to offer society, the meaning of retirement and aging is changing – to the baby boomers at least.
With no compulsory retirement age, just how do you know when to do it, and whether you are doing it 'right'. And when and how is someone old and why is that important. So many things to think about.
In this episode six people ranging in age from their 20s to 80s answer a series of thought-provoking questions that pull apart the assumptions, the clichés, and the stories we’ve been told about retirement and aging.
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