Next Act Ninjas: Mastering Lifestyle Longevity

Rightsize Without Regret: Why It’s Not About Downsizing — It’s Designing Your Best Next Act

Episode Summary

Are you ready to create a home — and a lifestyle — that fits who you are now and who you’re becoming? In this episode of Next Act Ninjas, Rachael Van Pelt explains why rightsizing in retirement beats downsizing in today’s housing market and how to make your next move your best one yet.

Episode Notes

Are you ready to create a home — and a lifestyle — that fits who you are now and who you’re becoming? In this episode of Next Act Ninjas, Rachael Van Pelt explains why rightsizing in retirement beats downsizing in today’s housing market and how to make your next move your best one yet.

You’ll learn how to:
✅ Reimagine retirement housing in today’s market
✅ Use your home equity strategically to extend your wealthspan
✅ Align your home with your healthspan and purpose
✅ Avoid the top 4 rightsizing mistakes retirees make
✅ Turn fear of change into freedom and confidence

➡️ Sign up for the free live workshop: Rightsize Retirement Without Regret: How to Unlock Home Equity and Design Your Next Act with Confidence
📅Save the Date: Friday, November 21, 2025 12 pm Mountain / 2 pm Eastern
🔗Register Nowhttps://www.rightsizeretirement.com/

🎁 Includes Free download: Rethinking Retirement

Chapters

00:00 Why Downsizing Feels Like Losing, and Rightsizing Feels Like Freedom

02:11 The Psychology of Fit: Your Home Affects Your Energy and Health

04:13 The 3-Step Framework: Vision, Evaluate, Experiment

05:51 Four Common Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

07:34 From Fear to Freedom: Designing a Home that Fits Your Next Act

08:59 Invitation to the Workshop

Episode Transcription

Hey, hey, welcome back, Ninjas. If you're over the age of 55, staring at a house that feels too big, too empty, or too expensive, and you're not sure what's next, you're not alone. But before you jump immediately to downsizing, I want to challenge you to think differently. What if your next move wasn't about shrinking your life, but about shaping it? That's what I call "rightsizing" and it's the key to a confident, regret-free retirement.

 

And, by the way, I am going to be walking you step-by-step through this process in my upcoming live workshop in a few weeks. The workshop is called "Rightsize Retirement Without Regret". I'll share more details later in the episode, but this workshop is your chance to turn everything we talk about today into a real plan.

 

But first, I want to start by addressing "downsizing". I think it's become almost synonymous with retirement. The kids leave home, the big house starts to feel like more of a burden than a blessing, and we start asking ourselves, "Should we sell and move to something smaller"? But here's the problem. Downsizing carries a subtle but powerful undertone of loss, doesn't it? It implies we're cutting back, we're giving up, we're shrinking our life to fit a smaller frame.

 

For many of us, that just doesn't feel right, does it? Because what I'm seeing and what I bet you're feeling is that this stage of life is actually full of possibility. You're healthy, active, curious. You finally have the time and resources to travel, to start that side project, to reconnect with what really matters. You don't want to make your life smaller. You want to make it fit better. That is what rightsizing is all about.

 

And today, this concept I think is more relevant than ever. Housing costs are up, mortgage rates are still high, and at the same time, millions of Boomers and Gen Xers are sitting on record levels of home equity. So the real question isn't "Should I downsize"? I think it's "How can I use my home equity and my lifestyle design to extend wealthspan and healthspan"?

 

But just a quick science sidebar here. You know I can't resist. Studies in environmental psychology show that when your living environment no longer matches your life stage, it creates what's called "cognitive friction". Your brain literally spends extra energy managing your You use an inordinate amount of mental bandwidth, not to mention physical energy, maintaining unused rooms, clutter, and obligations that don't fit who you are anymore.

 

Rightsizing just removes that friction. It restores alignment between your external environment and your internal identity. And that alignment frees up your energy. Energy you can redirect into your health, relationships, creativity, or travel, whatever makes your life vibrant. That's why people who rightsize report lower stress, better daily satisfaction, and even improved physical well-being. And they report that within just a year of moving. It's not about square footage. It's about fit.

 

Here's my favorite way to describe it. Downsizing is subtracting. Rightsizing is tailoring. It's like a well-fitted suit. It's not too tight, not too loose, just right, designed for you.

 

So what does that look like in practice? Well, it could certainly mean moving to a smaller home that's easier to maintain, one that still has space for your hobbies or your guests. It could also mean trading a suburban yard for a lock-and-leave condo so you can travel more. But it could just as easily mean a lateral move, similar square footage, but a better layout. Maybe you move to a warmer climate or a location closer to family or a community that keeps you thriving.

 

Rightsizing is at its core about aligning your living space with your lifestyle vision, financially, emotionally, and socially. It's not just about cutting costs, it's about creating freedom.

 

Now, if you've been listening to me for a while, you know I love a good framework. Here is The 3-step process I teach my clients, and it's the foundation of my upcoming workshop.

 

Step one is vision. Take the time to vividly imagine your next decades. What do your ideal days look like? Where do you see yourself waking up? Are you chasing bucket list adventures, hosting grandkids, starting a consulting business from home? I'm not talking about fantasizing, I'm talking about laying the foundation of your Next Act. Because without clarity on who you're becoming, it's impossible to design the right environment.

 

Step two is evaluate. Walk through your current home with curious eyes. What space truly serves you and what just drains your energy or collects dust? Notice how your house either supports or constrains the life you want. I often tell clients to do this exercise just walking around the house with a simple notebook in hand, labeling each room: keep, modify, or release. You're going to be amazed what you learn about what actually matters.

 

Step three is experiment. Before you make a permanent move, test the lifestyle you think you want. Make sure you rent in your target area or just spend a month walking the neighborhood that you want to live in or a week in that mountain town that you've been dreaming about. A "try-before-you-buy" approach turns fear into data. It's also how you prevent making a move that you regret. Even with the best of intentions, rightsizing can backfire if you rush it.

 

There are four mistakes that I see over and over again. The first mistake is going too small, too fast. You think you're simplifying, but in the end, you feel boxed in. That's why I like the term rightsizing better than downsizing. You still need to give yourself room to live and to grow. The second mistake is putting cost savings above comfort. Your home is not just a financial asset, it is the ecosystem of your well-being. Cheap can become costly if it undermines your happiness or your mobility. The third mistake is underestimating renovation fatigue. You don't want your golden years to turn into "HGTV purgatory". You have to be honest about what you're willing to take on and when it's time to buy move-in ready. Fourth mistake is ignoring future accessibility. You don't want to choose a three story townhouse at 65 if you know stairs are going to be a problem at 75. Think future-fit, not just present-fit.

 

And here's a new 2025 reality. Many Boomers and Gen Xers are equity rich, but cash constrained. Or, just to put it another way, house rich, cash poor. Which simply means your wealth is trapped inside your home. Rightsizing strategically, whether that's selling, house-hacking, renting, or just staying put and leveraging the equity you have, that can give you liquidity without financial stress. So it's not just about where you live, it's about how your home works for you.

 

But I want to address the emotional side as well, because this isn't just a math problem, it's a heart decision. Your home holds memories, milestones, laughter, love. It's totally normal to feel torn between gratitude for what your home has given you and the excitement of what's to come. But here's what I've learned after guiding clients through this process. Once people reframe the move as a step towards expansion, not reduction, everything shifts. The fear of loss becomes curiosity. You think, "What will life feel like when I'm free of this maintenance or this mortgage or those unused rooms"? That curiosity becomes excitement and a compass that keeps you pointed forward.

 

And hey, you still get to take all of those memories with you. You're not leaving them behind, you're bringing them into a new space where you can create more memories. Ultimately, rightsizing is about freedom. The freedom to shape a life that excites you, to invest your money where it matters, and to live in an environment that supports your vitality.

 

When your home is in sync with your healthspan, your wealthspan, and your sense of purpose, that's when life feels effortless again. Hopefully it gets you feeling more excited than fearful. And if so, then I invite you to attend my live interactive workshop next month called "Rightsize Retirement Without Regret". Even if you thought you'd never move again and you really just want to age-in-place, this is still for you. Because again, many of us are sitting on untapped equity. And there are things that you can do to unlock that equity that don't involve moving. I want to make sure you think through all of those options and are crystal clear on your next steps.

 

When you register, I'll send you my free downloadable guide, "Rethinking Retirement". So you can start envisioning your Next Act before the workshop even begins. Now it's happening next month and it's completely free to join live on Zoom. All you have to do is click the link in the show notes to save your spot in the workshop and you'll get my free ebook delivered right to your inbox.

 

This is your chance to turn everything you've learned today into a clear plan, to move forward with clarity, with confidence and excitement for what's next. Remember, the goal isn't to make your life smaller, it's to make it fit better. So just take a few moments today to reflect on your future vision. Ask yourself, what does "just right" look like for me? Where can I live that keeps me active, connected, and joyful for decades to come? Because your Next Act isn't something that happens to you, it's something you design.

 

That's it for today, thank you for joining me on another episode of Next Act Ninjas. If you found today's conversation helpful, please be sure to share it with a friend who's also thinking about their Next Act. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any upcoming episodes as we lead up to next month's workshop. Until next time, my friends, live well, love more, age less.