I'm a Retirement Psychologist: Here's Why Doing What You 'Ought' in Retirement Beats Doing Whatever You Want

An older woman wearing a T-shirt that says "volunteer" looks at a clipboard.

We often imagine retirement as the ultimate reward: No alarm clocks, no meetings, no bosses — just the freedom to do whatever we want.

Here's the paradox: That very freedom can feel empty if it lacks direction.