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Every story — from myth to a human life — can be traced back to the same building blocks. I call that insight The One Great Story™: 12 characters, 7 plots, 36 dramatic situations, and 2 endings, which together form every story ever told.

Retirement is not a new topic I’ve casually applied this framework to. It’s a thread that has run through my work for decades. I spent years working inside the pension and insurance industry — at organizations including Prudential, ABN AMRO Leven, UAP, Syntrus Achmea, Robeco Asset Management, Zwitserleven, and Towers Watson. I saw up close how thousands of people approached this transition: some with a plan, most with a story they had never examined.

What struck me then — and what I can finally give shape to now, through The One Great Story™ — is that the numbers on a pension statement are rarely the problem. People generally understand quite well what’s coming financially. What they don’t understand is the story they tell themselves about who they’ll be once that statement becomes reality. That story is what determines whether a pension plan ever actually gets carried out — not the calculation behind it.

What I’ve seen again and again, across decades of work in this sector, is a simple and slightly uncomfortable truth: you are already the storyteller of your own life. Every day, from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep, you’re telling yourself a story about what’s happening to you and why. Most people never examine that story. They just live inside it — as if it were the only one available, as if they didn’t have a pen in their own hand.

I’m asking this question now, specifically about retirement, for four reasons — and none of them wait for you to be ready.

1. Retirement is changing faster than our story about it can keep up. The image of “you turn 65 and stop working completely, all at once” no longer matches how it actually goes. There’s an artificial finish line built into that story — as if there’s an expiration date stamped on your forehead that runs out on a fixed day. That date doesn’t exist. Passion never retires: there’s an entire group of people who simply never want to stop the work and the life they love — and they don’t have to. And for those who do want to shift something, the choice is no longer limited to “keep going” or “quit cold turkey.” More and more people are choosing a Portfolio Life: gradually reducing the share of work in their life’s portfolio in favor of leisure, friends, and relationships — a shift, not a hard line. If you don’t consciously choose your own story about this, your surroundings will still choose it for you, with that one, outdated image of the artificial finish line.

2. The story you haven’t examined is already making decisions for you. Whether you retire early, keep working longer, save, postpone, or avoid thinking about it altogether — that’s rarely pure judgment. It’s usually the story running underneath it. Right now, this quarter, unconscious assumptions are already shaping real choices in your life.

3. The window to choose this ending is closing faster than for most major life questions. In every story, there’s a point where the plot locks in and the character can no longer choose how the chapter unfolds. With retirement, that window is literal — your age counts. The habits, choices, and beliefs of the coming years are what lock in this outcome. Tragedy, or a second life to be proud of. Waiting is already a choice.

4. Alignment is where a good second life actually comes from. There are two journeys happening at once. The external journey is what’s objectively happening: your work changes, your role ends, your income shifts. The internal journey is the story you’re telling yourself about all of it — your character, your fears, your assumptions.

Most people run these two journeys out of sync. Their internal story says “loss” while their external journey calls for “building a new beginning.” Their internal story says “this is happening to me” while the plot has already cast them in the lead role. That gap is where energy leaks — into procrastination, doubt, half-hearted plans.

Close the gap, and two things follow naturally. You become more creative in how you shape this phase — not because alignment makes you smarter, but because it frees the energy you’re currently spending on internal conflict; what feels like a lack of ideas is usually exactly that friction. And you become better able to steer it yourself — because a character who knows their own story stops merely reacting to every twist and starts acting on it. Steering was never about controlling circumstances. It’s about no longer being written by the story, but writing it yourself.

I built this assessment so you can stop living your retirement story unconsciously, and start rewriting it on purpose.

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How this works

Every complete story — yours included — has three layers:

Character — who you are in this story, your point of view — 12 archetypes Plot — what’s actually unfolding, the shape the story is taking — 7 scenarios Dramatic situations — the specific conflicts and dilemmas forcing you to choose — 36 situations

Most self-assessments stop at the first layer — a fun label, nothing more. This one goes all three levels deep, because knowing you’re “The Sage” tells you almost nothing until you also know what plot you’re inside and which conflicts are actually live for you right now. Together, the three layers give you the whole story — the one you’re living, not the one you assume you’re living.

Instructions: Work through all three parts in order. For Parts One and Two, rate each statement from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree), then total each group. For Part Three, simply mark every statement you rate 4 or 5 — those are your live conflicts, not a single “winning” category.

Answer as you are, not as you think you should be. This only works if it’s honest.

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Part One: Your Character

12 archetypes · 60 statements

Group A

1. I believe retirement will work itself out, without much planning on my part. ___
2. When I think about my retirement, I mostly feel relief, not fear. ___
3. I trust that life after my working years will fill itself in well. ___
4. I look forward to a time when I can finally do what I feel like doing. ___
5. I don’t worry much about what retirement will do to me. ___ Group A total: ___

Group B

6. I’m afraid I’ll feel useless as soon as I stop working. ___
7. I feel like other people know better than I do how to fill their retirement. ___
8. I just don’t want to fall behind while my peers already seem to know what they want. ___
9. I sometimes feel invisible when the conversation turns to “what will you do once you stop.” ___
10. I wonder if there’s still a place for me once my role disappears. ___ Group B total: ___

Group C

11. I feel personally responsible for shaping my retirement well. ___
12. I’m willing to make difficult choices now so that my retirement turns out well. ___
13. I see myself as someone with real influence over how this life stage unfolds. ___
14. I actively look for ways to make my retirement meaningful. ___
15. I’d rather tackle the challenges of this life stage head-on than avoid them. ___ Group C total: ___

Group D

16. My biggest hope for retirement is being able to be there for people who need me. ___
17. I think a lot about how I can keep supporting my partner, children, or grandchildren. ___
18. I want to use my post-work time mainly to care for others. ___
19. I feel uneasy thinking that loved ones might miss my attention later on. ___
20. I judge a good retirement mainly by how much I can mean to others. ___ Group D total: ___

Group E

21. I’m drawn to everything I haven’t done or seen yet. ___
22. I’d rather explore this for myself than have someone else tell me what retirement should look like. ___
23. The idea of an entirely new chapter excites me more than it frightens me. ___
24. I enjoy trying things I’ve never done before. ___
25. I feel most alive when I’m exploring unfamiliar territory — literally or figuratively. ___ Group E total: ___

Group F

26. I believe passion never retires — I never want to fully stop the work I love. ___
27. I think the whole idea of a fixed retirement age needs rethinking, not a gentle adjustment. ___
28. I feel the urge to push back against the artificial finish line society draws at a certain age. ___
29. I think rules around retirement usually protect the system, not the person. ___
30. Nobody has an expiration date stamped on their forehead — so why should I stick to one fixed date? ___ Group F total: ___

Group G

31. I mostly think about how retirement will change my relationship with my partner. ___
32. I notice I already value time with the people I love more than I used to. ___
33. I think about whether retirement will bring connection closer — or push it further away. ___
34. It matters to me whether retirement brings people closer together or makes them lonelier. ___
35. The emotional side of this transition interests me more than the financial side. ___ Group G total: ___

Group H

36. I mainly want to use my retirement to finally make something — writing, building, starting a venture. ___
37. I get excited imagining everything I could create once I have more time. ___
38. I see retirement mainly as space for creativity, not for rest. ___
39. My favorite retirement stories are about a new beginning, not about stopping. ___
40. I actually feel more energized, not less, when I think about what I still want to build. ___ Group H total: ___

Group I

41. I often process my feelings about getting older through humor. ___
42. I think jokes about retirement and aging are often sharper than serious conversations about it. ___
43. I joke just as easily about “finally free” as about “finally old.” ___
44. Some of the best insights about retirement I know came from a joke, not an article. ___
45. I use humor to say things about aging I wouldn’t say so easily in a serious tone. ___ Group I total: ___

Group J

46. I want to understand exactly what retirement means for me personally before I decide anything. ___
47. I’m skeptical of both the romantic and the fearful stories about retirement, until I’ve looked into it myself. ___
48. I’d rather dig deeply into my options than make a quick decision. ___
49. I’m more interested in asking the right questions about retirement than getting fast answers. ___
50. I trust careful thinking over gut feeling when it comes to this life stage. ___ Group J total: ___

Group K

51. I believe retirement can fundamentally change me as a person. ___
52. I think this isn’t an ending, but an entirely new chapter in who I am. ___
53. I imagine my life could look completely different soon. ___
54. I feel more awe than fear when I think about who I might still become. ___
55. The most interesting conversations about retirement, to me, are about transformation, not planning. ___ Group K total: ___

Group L

56. I think more about who or what controls my retirement than about how I’ll fill it. ___
57. Clear financial structure matters more to me than spontaneity. ___
58. I want to know exactly who is responsible if my retirement plan doesn’t work out. ___
59. I believe I need to actively take charge myself, rather than leaving it to pension funds or chance. ___
60. My biggest question about retirement is always: who actually holds the reins here? ___ Group L total: ___

Your dominant character: A = The Innocent · B = The Orphan/Everyman · C = The Hero · D = The Caregiver · E = The Explorer · F = The Rebel · G = The Lover · H = The Creator · I = The Jester · J = The Sage · K = The Magician · L = The Ruler

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Part Two: Your Plot

7 scenarios · 35 statements

Group 1 — Overcoming the Monster

61. I think my biggest task right now is facing my fears about retirement (money, health, loneliness) in time. ___
62. I feel a real “me against this problem” sense when I think about the risks of retirement. ___
63. I want to take decisive action now against the things that could ruin my retirement. ___
64. The story that resonates with me most is the one where I face the danger and win. ___
65. I think the coming years will be defined by a confrontation I can’t avoid. ___ Group 1 total: ___

Group 2 — Rags to Riches

66. I see retirement as a chance to finally achieve what I’ve always wanted. ___
67. My favorite retirement stories are about people who started with little and built something real. ___
68. I believe this life stage can still correct an unfair setback from earlier in life. ___
69. I’m drawn to stories of people who finally break through late in life. ___
70. I measure the success of my retirement by how many new doors it opens for me. ___ Group 2 total: ___

Group 3 — The Quest

71. I see the road toward and through retirement as a long journey with trials, not a single moment. ___
72. I’m more interested in where this life stage ultimately leads than in where I stand now. ___
73. I feel personally drawn to pursuing one big, personal goal in this phase. ___
74. I see setbacks along the way as part of the journey, not a reason to stop. ___
75. The idea of a years-long, meaningful pursuit within my retirement genuinely appeals to me. ___ Group 3 total: ___

Group 4 — Voyage and Return (the Portfolio Life)

76. I’ve fully pictured stopping work completely, only to realize afterward that I want something else. ___
77. I think I’ll ultimately choose a Portfolio Life — reducing the share of work rather than stopping it all at once. ___
78. My image of “stopping entirely” has already changed since I started thinking about it seriously. ___
79. I believe a gradual shift from work toward leisure and relationships suits me better than a hard line. ___
80. I’m currently in a phase of testing the limits of “free time.” ___ Group 4 total: ___

Group 5 — Comedy

81. I think the awkwardness of the early period will look mostly funny in hindsight. ___
82. I believe my partner and I will find a new, comfortable rhythm. ___
83. I worry less about retirement than some people around me do. ___
84. My gut feeling is that this will go more smoothly than people often expect. ___
85. I picture a future where retirement feels completely normal, not dramatic. ___ Group 5 total: ___

Group 6 — Tragedy

86. I’m afraid of a real loss — of purpose, health, or connection — that I won’t be able to recover from. ___
87. I feel a quiet unease when I think about how my retirement might turn out. ___
88. I think warning signs about loneliness or lack of purpose after retirement get ignored too often. ___
89. I suspect the cost of not being well prepared will only become clear once it’s too late. ___
90. I notice I’m preparing, mentally or practically, for a harder scenario than most people expect. ___ Group 6 total: ___

Group 7 — Rebirth

91. I believe this moment could fundamentally change my life for the better. ___
92. I think retirement could be the push for a change in how I live that’s long overdue. ___
93. I feel more hope than fear about who I’ll be on the other side of this transition. ___
94. I see this uncertain period as a necessary phase before something better arrives. ___
95. My honest belief is that I’ll come out of this a better, fuller person. ___ Group 7 total: ___

Your dominant plot: 1 = Overcoming the Monster · 2 = Rags to Riches · 3 = The Quest · 4 = Voyage and Return (Portfolio Life) · 5 = Comedy · 6 = Tragedy · 7 = Rebirth

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Part Three: Your Conflicts

36 dramatic situations · 36 statements

Rate each statement 1–5 again, but this time don’t total a group. Instead, mark every statement you rate 4 or 5. Those are the dramatic situations actively alive in your story right now — most people recognize themselves in 4 to 9 of these, not just one.

96. I often feel unheard when it comes to how I want to fill my own retirement. ___
97. I’m hoping retirement will free me from things I no longer want to do. ___
98. I think there should be clarity about who is responsible if my retirement plan fails. ___
99. I’ve noticed retirement can create tension between people who always used to agree. ___
100. I feel the pressure of a kind of race, as if standing still means falling behind. ___
101. I think about worst-case retirement scenarios more than most people I know. ___
102. I feel like I could become the victim of decisions I had no part in making. ___
103. I feel the urge to resist how retirement is being shaped in my surroundings. ___
104. I’m drawn to a bold move in this life stage, even if it’s risky. ___
105. I worry about losing my grip on my own time or money. ___
106. What retirement will really do to me is still a big question mark for me. ___
107. I feel the squeeze of limited time, money, or energy to do everything I want. ___
108. I’ve watched allies in my circle drift apart because of retirement. ___
109. I sometimes feel compared to peers over who’s doing “better” with retirement. ___
110. I’ve felt let down by a promise about retirement that was never kept. ___
111. I sometimes find it hard to distinguish what I truly want from what’s expected of me. ___
112. I worry that decisions about my retirement are being made too quickly. ___
113. I’ve seen well-intentioned choices around retirement backfire anyway. ___
114. I worry my retirement will also have consequences for people around me. ___
115. I’d give something up now to have a retirement I can be proud of later. ___
116. I’d sacrifice comfort or money to protect loved ones from the consequences of my choices. ___
117. I know people — maybe myself — who would risk everything for one dream image of retirement. ___
118. I accept that difficult trade-offs are unavoidable in getting this right. ___
119. I feel tension between whoever sets the rules around retirement and whoever has to live with them. ___
120. I sometimes feel let down by promises of a secure retirement that didn’t come true. ___
121. I’ve made a well-intentioned decision about my retirement that, in hindsight, wasn’t so smart. ___
122. I’ve been surprised by something in my retirement planning I had trusted. ___
123. I feel frustrated by rules, bureaucracy, or uncertainty that slow down my plans. ___
124. I know someone with a very different view of retirement than mine, whose point still gets to me. ___
125. My own ambition for this life stage makes me a little uneasy sometimes. ___
126. I feel small in the face of how big this life change is. ___
127. I’ve caught myself distrusting my own retirement planning for no good reason. ___
128. I’ve made a decision about retirement based on incomplete information. ___
129. I look back on a retirement-related decision and wish I’d done it differently. ___
130. I’ve rediscovered a skill or connection precisely because of the prospect of retirement. ___
131. My biggest fear is losing something essential along the way — purpose, identity, or connection. ___

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Your Whole Story

Bring the three layers together:

• My character is: _______________________
• My plot is: _______________________
• My live conflicts (from Part Three) are: _______________________

Now the question I’ve put in front of people for more than two decades, aimed at retirement for the first time: given the character you’re playing, the plot you’re inside, and the conflicts you’re already grappling with — which ending are you currently heading toward, tragedy or a second life to be proud of? And what would it take, starting today, to rewrite it?

That last question isn’t rhetorical. It’s the actual work. A character doesn’t change the ending by reading about it — they change it by making a different choice at the next dramatic situation that shows up. You now know which ones are already live for you.

And maybe your answer is neither of the two extremes. Maybe you discover you belong with The Rebel, and for you it’s true: passion never retires. Or you recognize yourself in Voyage and Return, and consciously choose a Portfolio Life — not stopping, but shifting. There’s no expiration date stamped on your forehead. The artificial finish line is exactly that: artificial. You decide where it goes.

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Rewrite your story. Transform your life.

For professionals and entrepreneurs

You are the storyteller of your own life. You can create your own legend here — or not. That choice was always yours; this assessment just made it visible.

Bring your results to my online seminar, where I’ll take you through it character by character, plot by plot, and conflict by conflict — and we’ll work through, live, what it actually looks like to consciously rewrite your story about retirement, in a way that changes how you lead, shape, and decide this life stage.

Send me an email to peterdekuster2023@gmail.com and I’ll send you the dates of the upcoming online seminars.

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For pension providers and advisors

Your clients are already filling in pension calculations, risk profiles, and wealth plans with you. What they rarely fill in is the story that determines whether they’ll ever actually carry out that planning — or keep postponing, doubting, and making half-hearted plans instead.

This assessment was built to close that gap: not as a replacement for your financial advice, but as the layer before it — the conversation that opens a client up before the numbers even land. Organizations already using this in their retirement communications see what I’ve seen for two decades in my own work: people who know their own story make decisions faster, and stick with them.

Send me an email to peterdekuster2023@gmail.com and I’ll get in touch to discuss how your organization can use this assessment in your retirement communications and advisory work.