What Trees Taught Me About Retirement
The surprising science behind why difficult seasons prepare you for what comes next
🟢 Last weekend I had the privilege of speaking at a Women’s Retreat in Alberta.
One of the stories I shared is a science story, but it’s really a story about what it takes to be ready for what comes next.
If you were there this weekend, thank you for signing up for this newsletter! Welcome!
🧭 In 1991, scientists built the Biosphere 2 in the Arizona desert. It was a completely sealed dome designed to recreate perfect living conditions. Plenty of light, water and controlled temperature. Scientists were amazed to find that the trees grew faster than in nature…faster than anyone expected.
And then they fell over.
The scientists eventually figured out why. Inside the dome there was no wind. Without wind, trees never develop what’s called stress wood. Stress wood is the dense, strong material that forms in response to being pushed around by the wind or a storm. The thing that looked like it was working against the tree was actually the thing that made it strong enough to stand.
🌱 I’ve been working on the tools and frameworks in my book for about 15 months now and I keep coming back to this story because I see a version of it all the time in my coaching practice.
People who spend their careers in structured environments, with titles, rhythms and a clear sense of being needed, often arrive at retirement feeling surprisingly unsettled. Not because they didn’t plan. They did. But…
The financial plan tells you how to get TO retirement. It doesn’t tell you who you’ll be when you get there.
The stress wood that carries you through the next chapter isn’t built in perfect conditions. It’s built in the seasons where you had to figure things out, adapt, try something new and adjust. The challenge is that most people wait until after retirement to start that process.
💡 One of the tools I introduced at the retreat is called the Life Design Purpose Wheel. It looks at six dimensions of a fulfilling life: Health and Vitality, Creativity and Joy, Financial Stability, Connection and Relationships, Service and Contribution, and Growth and Learning.
When you score each dimension on a scale of 1 to 10, you get a current state picture of where your roots are deep and where they might be a little shallow right now.
The question I asked the women in that room is the same one I want to leave with you.
✍️ Which dimension of your Life Design Purpose Wheel has the shallowest roots right now?
Hit reply and tell me. I read every response, and I’d genuinely love to hear where you are.
Designing Your Second Act publishes November 4, 2026 through Routledge Productivity Press. Pre-orders open October 14th and I’ll share the link and a discount code the moment they do. 🌱
Tammy Martins is a retirement transition coach, speaker and author.
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