If the only reason you’re working is to eventually “retire”, you’re already dead.

Not physically…Not yet at least.

But spiritually?

Emotionally?

That version of you that used to be on fire?

They’re sitting in the backseat whispering,

“Yo, I thought we were gonna do cool shit in this life?”

And you?

You think cool shit consists of going to Chili’s instead of Applebee’s.

PS: did anyone else realize both of those restaurants are possessive nouns?? Who woulda thunk.

Anyway… I digress..

Let’s Talk About the Retirement Lie

Retirement was invented in the 1880s…by a guy in Germany...who didn’t expect you to live past 65.

…no for real, look it up, his name was Otto Von Bismark…

It wasn’t designed for joy.

It wasn’t designed for freedom.

It was designed to move old people off the payroll.

And somehow that became the American Dream…

Work 40 years, hate your job, sacrifice your joy so you can finally sit in Florida with bad knees and a margarita machine you don’t actually know how to use.

Respectfully… Fuck. That.

You were not built to survive a job just so you could escape it one day.

You were built to do work that sets your soul on fire… now, not later.

Why You’re Afraid to Want More (But Should Anyway)

You Think Purpose Has to Be Poor

You’ve bought into the lie that doing meaningful work means barely affording oat milk.

You think you can either be rich and dead inside, or be broke and full of “passion” (aka debt and regret)

Bro.

It’s 2025.

There are people making six figures reviewing cat beds on TikTok.

You can absolutely make money AND make meaning.

But only if you stop treating passion like a side hobby and start treating it like the blueprint.

You Think It’s “Too Late”

Too late for what?

Your second act?

Your first act was written by survival mode.

By guidance counselors and helicopter parents and “safe bets.”

Your second act?

That’s where the real shit begins.

And if you’re thinking “but I’m 40-something!”

Great. You’re right on schedule.

(You’re not too old. You’re just too aware to keep pretending you’re fulfilled by calendar invites and quarterly performance reviews.)

You Think There’s a “Right Time” to Pivot

There’s not.

There is no certified mail coming from God that says:

“Congratulations, it’s officially time to live your dream. You may now quit the job you hate and start your real life.”

You’ll always be afraid.

You’ll always feel unready.

And you’ll always have 17 excuses available on speed dial.

The question isn’t “Am I ready?”

The question is “Am I done pretending this current version of my life is enough?”

The Anti-Retirement Blueprint

AKA: How to Build a Career That Feeds Your Soul Without Living in a Van Down by the River.

Step 1: Name Your “Alive Work”

Forget your resume.

Forget what’s marketable.

Forget what pays well (for now).

Ask:

• What work have I done that made me feel more ME?

• What conversations make me feel electric?

• What skills would I still use even if nobody paid me, but they should, because I’m like really good at them?

This is your Alive Work.

This is where your second act begins.

Not in a spreadsheet.

Not in a job board.

In your bloodstream.

Step 2: Find the Overlap: Joy × Value × Demand

This is your “Get Paid to Be Yourself” Venn Diagram.

1. What do you LOVE doing?

2. What are you damn GOOD at?

3. What does the world actually PAY for?

Find the overlap.

Build there.

That’s your “Anti-Retirement Zone.”

If you need a visual: Imagine you built a business based on your gift instead of your degree. That’s what we’re doing here.

Step 3: Test It Loud, Fast, and Imperfectly

The Anti-Retirement Plan isn’t a five-year strategy you keep in Google Docs. It’s a street-level experiment.

• Take your idea public.

• Sell something small.

• Post the thing.

• Launch the ugly version.

• Offer the service.

• Build the MVP.

• Talk about it loud enough that your coworkers think you joined a cult. (You kind of did… welcome to Meaningful Momentum)

Don’t overthink it.

You don’t find your second act by “figuring it out.”

You find it by doing it and letting the reps teach you who you really are.

Step 4: Design for Freedom, Not Just Fame

This isn’t about building a 7-figure empire unless you want that.

It’s about building a life you don’t need to recover from.

A life that gives you:

• Time

• Choice

• Impact

• Money

• And that weird sense of “Holy shit I can’t believe I get to do this.”

That’s the Anti-Retirement Plan.

It’s not “stop working.”

It’s “start working on the thing that feels like a calling instead of a cage.”

Make It Stick: Your Challenge This Week

Here’s what you do:

1. Write down your “Alive Work” (no overthinking, just the first things that light you up).

2. Circle ONE way you could start making that visible or valuable.

3. Take one tiny but public action this week.

No more someday.

No more waiting for permission.

Start building the life you don’t need to retire from.

The Truth You’ve Been Avoiding

You don’t need a new career.

You need a real calling.

You don’t need a break.

You need a breakthrough.

And you sure as hell don’t need to “wait it out” for 20 more years until it’s socially acceptable to buy an RV and “finally live.”

You’re not here to retire.

You’re here to become.

And now is the time.

Build the second act like your soul depends on it, because it does.

Your Turn:

What’s your “Alive Work”?

Hit reply and tell me. Let’s make this second act the one you were actually born for.

– Ned

P.S. Know someone slowly dying in a job they plan to retire from in 2039? Forward this to them. They’ll thank you later… I’ll thank you immediately.