Why the Title Changed: From Retirement Is a Decision, Not an Age to Retirement: It’s Personal

When I first started writing this book, I was convinced the title would be Retirement Is a Decision, Not an Age. 

It sums up a big belief of mine: retirement isn’t a date on a calendar. It’s a decision you arrive at when the numbers stack up, the timing feels right, and your life is ready for the change.

But as the manuscript developed — and as I spoke more with my publishing company — the conversation moved from “What’s a strong title?” to “What will connect with readers immediately?”

That’s where Retirement: It's Personal came in.

What my original title captured

Retirement Is a Decision, Not an Age is a statement. It’s direct and it challenges the old idea that retirement is something you do just because you reach a certain birthday.

It also reflects how I work with people in real life: helping them step back, look at the bigger picture, and make decisions in the right order — rather than drifting into retirement and hoping it all works out.

Why we changed it

My publishing company preferred Retirement: It’s Personal because it communicates something important in a simpler, more human way.

Most people already know retirement involves money.
What they often don’t expect is how much it involves everything else.

The doubts. The fears. The “what if I’m wrong?” moments.
The relationship dynamics. The identity shift when work stops.
The lifestyle questions that don’t show up on a spreadsheet.

The new title reflects the core message of the book:

Retirement planning isn’t just about the numbers — it’s about you.

What hasn’t changed

Although the title changed, the purpose of the book hasn’t.

This is still a practical guide to help you make clearer retirement decisions by aligning three forces that shape a successful retirement:

Money. Emotions. Lifestyle.

That’s what the book is built around, and it’s what I want readers to take away: a calmer, more confident way to think about retirement that fits real life.

A quick thank you

If you’ve been following the journey so far, thank you. Bringing a book to life involves hundreds of small decisions — and the title is one of the biggest.

I’m genuinely pleased we landed on Retirement: It’s Personal, because it captures exactly what I want this book to feel like: straightforward, practical, and grounded in real life.

More updates soon as we move through the final stages toward launch.