Play to Your Strengths in Retirement
One Idea, One Question, One Exercise
By Dave Smith, The Ultimate Retirement Coach
Welcome back to a weekly dose of insight to help you live your best retired life—energized, intentional, and aligned with your natural strengths. If you’re ready to experience more meaning and momentum, read on.
đź’ˇ One Idea: Follow Enthusiasm and Play to Your Strengths
In retirement, the best days often come when you feel energized and engaged. That’s why one of the simplest—and most powerful—rules to follow is this:
Optimize for enthusiasm.
Do more of what excites you. Less of what drains you.
When you lean into what you enjoy and where you excel, you create a retirement rhythm that not only feels good but often leads to greater contributions to others.
“Exceptional results almost exclusively happen when you work hard on an area where you have some natural aptitude.”
Don’t try to master everything. Instead, double down on what you’re already good at—and say yes to activities that leave you feeling uplifted and alive.
âť“One Question: What Is Your Environment Whispering to You?
Your surroundings shape your behavior more than you realize.
Right now, look around your space.
Is it energizing or draining?
Does it nudge you toward creativity, activity, or joy—or lull you into passivity and distraction?
Ask yourself:
What one small change could I make in my environment to steer me toward good habits and away from distractions?
This might be rearranging your morning routine space, moving the TV remote out of sight, or placing your walking shoes by the door. Small changes, big shifts.
🏋️‍♂️ One Exercise: Design Your One-Day-at-a-Time Plan
Let’s bring things down to earth. You don’t have to plan the next 20 years. You only have to live today well.
Download Your Free Worksheet:
“One Day at a Time: Aligning Strengths and Enthusiasm”
This printable worksheet helps you:
Identify your top 3 strengths
List 3 activities that bring you energy and joy
Plan ONE day aligned with both—hour by hour
Reflect at the end of the day: What felt best? What should you repeat?
👉 Click here to download the worksheet nowÂ
Final Thought
Retirement isn’t about stopping. It’s about starting—starting to live more purposefully, energetically, and authentically.
Play to your strengths. Follow your enthusiasm. Live one day at a time.
That’s the path to a retirement you’ll love.
Until next week,
Dave Smith
The Ultimate Retirement Coach