The Retire Sooner Method: Overview

Boy, do I have a treat for you all!

There’s a new book out by Wes Moss and I think you’re going to love it! I did!

As a bit of background, Wes Moss is the author who wrote You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think and What the Happiest Retirees Know: 10 Habits for a Healthy, Secure, and Joyful Life. I have covered both of these books previously in several posts. Check out How to Have a Happy Retirement and What the Happiest Retirees Know, Introduction for more details.

I even got the chance to interview Wes many years ago. You can read that interview at Wes Moss Interview on the Happiest Retirees.

The book we’re going to begin covering today is his latest book which was just released this week. It’s titled The Retire Sooner Method: The 5 Secrets Behind America’s Happiest (and Unhappiest) Retirees.  It’s a great one, as you’ll see.

And as I do with other books I like, I’ll be giving away a copy of the book at the end of each post in this series, so be sure to stay tuned and read to the end if you want a chance to win a copy.

What I especially like about Wes’s books is that they are based on broadscale research. He isn’t making up a bunch of conclusions because they fit his point of view. He’s doing research to find out what makes retirement work, what doesn’t make it work, and what separates happy retirees from unhappy ones.

He studies actual retirees, looks for patterns, and then turns those findings into practical advice.

That’s the kind of retirement writing I appreciate.

Of course, the fact that many of his findings also match my own life experience is just a happy coincidence.

Hahaha.

Or is it? 😉

This post and the next will cover the first chapter of the book, which is a high-level summary of what’s to come. I’ll comment on what I share, but we won’t dig too deeply into every point yet because many of these issues will be covered in much more detail in later chapters.

And believe me, I already have questions and comments.

Lots of them.

But for today, we’ll take the overview for what it is: a preview of the book’s major themes and a first look at the five factors Wes says are most connected to a happy retirement.

With that said, let’s get started.

Retire As Soon as Possible

Life is Short. Retire Early. is a post about how you should retire as soon as you can because you don’t know how much time you have left to live.

That remains one of my core retirement beliefs.

I don’t say everyone should retire at 40, 45, 50, or even 60. People have different finances, different jobs, different families, different health situations, and different levels of desire to keep working.

But I do believe that once you are financially independent, continuing to trade the healthiest remaining years of your life for more money deserves serious examination.

That does not mean continuing to work is always wrong. Some people truly love their work. Some people have jobs that give them purpose, community, flexibility, and fulfillment. Some people would be less happy without work.

But that’s not everyone.

In fact, I suspect it’s not most people.

For many, work is something they tolerate because they need the paycheck. Once that need goes away, the reason to keep working should be stronger than “I guess this is what I’ve always done.”

Wes’s new book is similar to my thinking, except his point of view is to retire as soon as you can because it will likely make you happier.

And that’s where we pick up the coverage of the book with this statement:

Let’s say you’re planning to retire at sixty-five, when Medicare kicks in and you start collecting Social Security. What if you “shaved two minutes” off your trip? Apply that same 6 percent to those sixty-five years and you get a little over four years. That means you could retire at sixty-one — and get four years of your life back.

Imagine what you could do with those four years. What trips would you take? What activities would you engage in? What kind of impact — physically, mentally, emotionally — would it have on your life?

Imagine what you could do with even just one year. How would you feel waking up every morning with the knowledge that your day is yours to do with what you will?

Hahahaha. See, I told you!

Is he singing my song or what?

I have often said that statistically, the next year of your life is probably the best remaining year of your life physically. The year after that is likely the next best. And so on.

That’s not a pleasant thing to think about, but it’s generally true.

Most of us are not getting younger, stronger, faster, healthier, and more energetic as the years go by. Sure, we can improve our health in certain ways. We can lose weight, get stronger, eat better, sleep better, and become more active. And we should.

But in the broad sense, time is moving in one direction.

So when you decide to keep working, especially if you are already financially independent, you are likely giving up one of the best remaining years of your physical life for money you don’t need.

That’s the part many people don’t fully appreciate.

They think they are trading one more year of work for one more year of income.

But they are also trading one more year of freedom. One more year of travel while they’re younger. One more year of weekday mornings that belong to them. One more year of time with a spouse, kids, grandkids, friends, hobbies, fitness, ministry, volunteering, or whatever else they say is important.

And now Wes is saying you may also be giving up a happier life.

Of course, this is on average. There will always be exceptions. There are people who thrive in work and struggle in retirement. There are people who retire and then realize they have no plan, no friends, no hobbies, no purpose, and no idea what to do with themselves.

We’ll talk about that later because it’s very real.

But exceptions are not the rule, and most people will fit into the broader story laid out above: retirement, done well, can be a huge life upgrade.

The Retirement Study

Moss’s team conducted the “Money and Happiness in America” study in 2025, and you’ll be hearing a lot about it over the course of this series.

We’ll begin with this:

The data revealed something so fundamental, so deceptively simple, it reframed everything: Simply getting to retirement raises happiness levels by more than 20 percent. Just being able to say “Yes, I’m retired” is already a massive happiness boost.

In our study, we defined retirement as “being in a financial position where you have the freedom to choose whether or not to work full-time.” One of our most powerful findings is [that] Americans who could simply answer yes to the question “Are you retired?” are 8 percent above the US happiness baseline, while the non-retired group is 11 percent below the baseline. When you crunch the numbers, that means the retired group is 21 percent more likely to land in the happy camp than the non-retired group. That’s a huge difference and a massive jump, simply based on your work status.

Retirement isn’t necessarily about work — many retirees in our study still did part-time work or had a “side hustle” they enjoyed. But the act of crossing that threshold — from “I have to work” to “I choose to work” — delivers an immediate, measurable boost.

Something magical happens from a happiness perspective from simply getting into the retired camp.

The happiness jump was way more than 20% for me.

In fact, I’m not sure I can put a number on it.

Or maybe I can.

I would say my life while working my last job was a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 10.

That number, however, was really an average of two very different realities.

When I was at home with my family, my life was probably a 9. I enjoyed my family, my home, my time away from work, and the parts of life I could control.

But when I was at work, my life was probably a 3.

That’s a pretty big spread.

And when a large portion of your waking hours is spent in the “3” category, it has a way of dragging down everything else. Even when you’re not working, work can still follow you around mentally. You think about what happened that day. You think about what’s coming tomorrow. You think about the people, problems, pressures, meetings, and nonsense that are waiting for you when the weekend ends.

Then I retired, and my life jumped to a 9.5. (There’s always room for improvement, right? Haha.)

But the change was immediate and dramatic. The work-related stress disappeared. The schedule became mine. The pressure lifted. The Sunday-night dread vanished. I could decide what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it, and how I wanted my days to look.

That is a massive life change.

And for me, it has remained at that level with the exception of when I was dealing with my back problem, when it dropped way down for a while. I’m happy to report we’re back in the 8 to 9 territory and still increasing.

So yes, retirement has certainly made me happier. Much happier.

Now, you may wonder about measuring “happiness,” as that’s a tough thing to ascertain. Here’s what the book has to say about that:

For the purposes of this book, we’ll be talking about [a general feeling of] happiness. We’re not measuring how someone feels in a particular moment but rather their overall sense of well-being in life.

And to contrast with that:

Unhappiness, on the other hand, shows up when life drifts away from meaning and control.

In the Retire Sooner Method, unhappiness is less about hardship or financial insecurity and more about disconnection from the values, people, and activities that make life worth living.

I like this distinction.

Happiness in retirement is not about being in a good mood every second of every day. That’s unrealistic.

You’re still going to have problems. Appliances will break. Family members will annoy you. Health issues may pop up. The stock market will do stupid things. Your favorite team will lose. Your cat may puke on the rug.

Not that I know anything about that. 😉

But overall happiness is different from momentary happiness.

Overall happiness is more about your general sense of life. Do you like how your days are structured? Do you have enough control over your time? Are you doing things that matter to you? Are you connected to people you care about? Do you wake up with something to look forward to?

That’s what matters.

And I think Wes is right to connect unhappiness with a loss of meaning and control.

In fact, that may be one reason work becomes so draining for many people. It’s not only the work itself. It’s the lack of control. Someone else decides where you need to be, when you need to be there, what you need to do, who you need to deal with, and how your success will be measured.

Retirement flips that equation. At least it can.

Done well, retirement gives you back control. It gives you the opportunity to reconnect with the people, values, activities, and purposes that make life worth living.

As I said up top, we’ll dig into all this more as we get into the book.

I’m just giving you a general lay of the land for now.

The Five Secrets

Next we get to the findings in the survey:

We surveyed over twelve hundred Americans aged fifty and up across every region of the country, exploring how everything from finances and friendships to purpose and sleep shapes happiness in retirement. The 2025 Money and Happiness in America study revealed five deceptively simple “secrets” that became the foundation for everything you’ll read in this book.

These five secrets unlock a “96 percent chance of happiness” according to the book.

That’s pretty much a sure thing.

Again, we’ll get to details on what this means a bit later.

They share a bit more on the research and findings:

Now you might wonder: why exactly five? Our research identified more than twenty-five factors that influence retirement satisfaction — everything from health habits to housing decisions to what kind of core pursuits people choose. You could certainly pick seven factors, or ten, or for the overachievers, try to tackle all twenty-five.

This is important because whenever we see a list like this, it’s tempting to turn it into a rigid formula.

Do these five things and you’ll be happy. Miss one and you’re doomed.

But life doesn’t work that way.

In the end, there are going to be different combinations of activities, habits, resources, relationships, and circumstances that lead to a happy retirement. These will vary by person, family situation, health, personality, finances, location, spiritual life, interests, and a gazillion other factors.

So don’t think you must have all five of these in abundance to be happy in retirement. That’s not what I think the book is saying.

What I think Wes is saying is that these five give you the best chance, on average, of being happy in retirement. Other combinations might “only” give the average person a 94% chance of happiness, which is still pretty great, while that same combination for you might give a 99% chance because of your personal circumstances.

In other words, don’t treat these as ironclad laws. But do take them seriously.

Here’s what I would recommend…

If you’re currently planning for retirement, I would look at these very carefully as you plan your retirement life, not just your retirement finances. Most people spend years thinking about the money side and about six minutes thinking about what they are actually going to do all day once work is gone.

That’s backwards.

Yes, you need the money. Obviously. This is ESI Money, after all.

But you also need a life.

A happy retirement requires more than a portfolio. It requires activities, relationships, purpose, health, sleep, structure, and a reason to get out of bed beyond checking your account balances.

If you’re already retired and loving it, I don’t think you need to overhaul your life simply because a book gives you a five-part framework. If it’s working, it’s working.

But if you’re retired and less happy than you expected to be, I’d pay close attention to these five areas. Look at what’s missing. Look at what’s weak. Look at what you assumed would take care of itself but hasn’t.

Then consider adding or strengthening the missing pieces. They could just be the cure you need.

Now we get to the big reveal:

But when we analyzed our findings to distill the most efficient combination that mathematically produces the highest probability of happiness, by nailing the fewest of the habits, these five secrets rose to the top:

• Secret #1: Hit the Money Green Zones. Build a nest egg of $1 million or more in liquid investable assets, observing the 4+ percent rule of thumb for withdrawals. You should also have multiple income sources and a mortgage payoff within sight.
• Secret #2: Boost your core pursuits. You know those meaningful activities and “hobbies on steroids” that bring joy and purpose to your life? Spend five-plus more hours a week doing them — and seek out new adventures to enrich your days.
• Secret #3: Build a community. Cultivate three to four close friendships through consistent socialization and genuine connection. Plot twist: Weave those friends into your core pursuits, combining Secrets #2 and 3 for the ultimate happiness hack.
• Secret #4: Map out your future. Create a written financial plan or life map. Both are strategic tools that transform anxiety into confidence. This doesn’t have to be laborious — it can even be fun!
• Secret #5: Harness the Happy Retiree Superpower. Prioritize quality sleep as the foundation that makes everything else possible. Aim for a solid seven to eight hours, so you feel rested and restored.

I am biting my tongue because I have SO MUCH to say about these things.

But I’ll save most of that until we get to the chapters on each of them.

For now, I’ll offer a few initial thoughts:

• A lot of these should sound pretty familiar to regular ESI Money readers. I’ve been talking about many of these for years, and so have several of the retirement books I’ve read and shared on this site. The money piece is obvious. You need enough assets and income to support the life you want. You do not need infinite money, but you do need enough. If you are constantly worried about money, it’s hard to relax into retirement. That said, I’ll be very interested to see how the book handles the $1 million number. Is it a useful benchmark? Sure. Is it universally applicable? Of course not. A paid-off house, pension, Social Security, geographic location, spending level, healthcare costs, taxes, and family obligations can all change the math dramatically. Still, as a general rule, more financial margin is better than less financial margin. That’s not exactly shocking news.
• The core pursuits idea is also familiar. I have long said that retirees need something to retire to, not just something to retire from. If your entire retirement plan is “I won’t work anymore,” that’s not really a plan. That’s only the removal of work. What fills the space? That’s where core pursuits come in.
• The community piece is also huge, and probably underappreciated by many men in particular. Work often provides a built-in social structure. You may not love everyone you work with, but you are around people. You have conversations. You share problems. You have some kind of connection. Then retirement comes, and that structure disappears. If you have not built friendships outside of work, that can be a problem.
• The sleep one is interesting too, though it makes sense. It’s hard to enjoy anything when you’re constantly exhausted. Sleep affects mood, health, patience, energy, decision-making, and probably every other part of retirement happiness.
• The one outlier for me is #4, “Map out your future.” I’m really interested in hearing more about that one. I do believe in planning. Obviously. I planned my finances carefully, and I recommend others do the same. I also believe in thinking through what you want retirement to look like. But I’m curious how formal Wes thinks this needs to be and how much of the happiness boost comes from the plan itself versus the confidence and clarity the planning creates. So I’m saving my opinion on that one until they can fully present their case. Lol.

And to round out this section, they end with this:

If you could focus on only five things to maximize your chances of a happy retirement, these would be the ones. Think of it as the minimum effective dose.

Pretty interesting so far, huh?

See, I told you!

I like the “minimum effective dose” concept because it keeps the framework from becoming overwhelming. Retirement planning can quickly become a monster list of things to optimize:

• You need the right asset allocation.
• You need the right withdrawal strategy.
• You need the right Social Security plan.
• You need the right Medicare plan.
• You need the right tax strategy.
• You need hobbies, friends, health habits, travel plans, estate documents, housing decisions, purpose, exercise, sleep, family boundaries, and on and on it goes.

All of those can matter.

But if Wes’s research is right, these five areas give retirees the biggest happiness bang for the buck.

That’s useful.

It doesn’t mean everything else is irrelevant. It simply means these are the areas worth paying special attention to.

To read the next post in this series, see The Retire Sooner Method: Overview, Part 2.

For now, let’s get to the giveaway!

——————————————

As I said above, I’m giving away a copy of The Retire Sooner Method on every post I do about the book. Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment below telling me what you liked best about this post, what you think you can use, or something you learned from it. Basically just share anything meaningful related to the content above (note: “please enter me to win” and similar comments will not be considered out of pure weakness! At least put a bit of effort into it!) This should be fun!
• Be sure to leave your email address when you leave the comment so I will know how to reach you if you win (the email address will not be visible to anyone other than me).
• The winners will be selected by me at random a few days after this post goes live. I’ll announce who wins in my own comment.
• I’ll email the winner, get their address, and send them a book from Amazon.

As with most giveaways, there are rules. Here they are.

Good luck!!!!