The Secret to a Golden Life: It’s Not Retirement, It’s Letting Go
I recently watched a YouTube video that detailing ‘Five Things You Should Get Rid of Before You Retire’. It was aimed at people approaching their golden years, but as I listened, I couldn’t stop thinking how perfectly it fit the mindset of tiny living. It included so many great points, quotes, reminders about what truly matters in life. They could easily be applied — with only the tiniest tweaks — to those of us seeking simplicity and freedom right now, not someday.
The truth is, most of us spend decades working toward a future when we’ll finally have the time and freedom to live life on our own terms. But what if we don’t have to wait for “retirement” to experience that kind of golden life? What if the secret isn’t waiting at all — but letting go?
1. The Oversized House
The first thing the speaker advised letting go of was an oversized home — the one that might have been “just right” when the kids were growing up but now echoes with empty rooms and maintenance chores.
He said, “It isn’t about accumulating more; it’s about strategically letting go of the right things at the right time.”
That line hit home. In tiny living, we talk about this often — how downsizing isn’t about deprivation, but liberation. Selling a larger home or choosing a smaller space opens doors to freedom: less maintenance, lower expenses, and more flexibility about where and how you live.
As he put it, “Stop being house managers and start being life managers.”
That’s exactly what happens when people choose tiny living. We stop organizing, cleaning, repairing, and worrying about things — and start actually living.
2. Time is Limited (No matter what your age!)
While the second item he highlighted, “funding your adult children at the expense of your retirement” doesn’t fit as perfectly with tiny living as the others, he did have some great advice to share in this section of the video: “Don’t sacrifice the limited time you have remaining.” No matter what your age, your time is your most valuable asset. Don’t waste it. My advice, start your tiny living journey now to enjoy more time and to enjoy your time more!
3. When Things Become Burdens
Another piece of advice was to release the “expensive toys that have become expensive burdens” — things like boats, RVs, or collections that once brought joy but now bring guilt, expense or obligation.
Let’s face it though, an item doesn’t need to be ‘an expensive toy’ to be a burden. No matter what the cost, I suggest evaluating each item’s value to your future life. Is it time for it to go?
He said, “Don’t keep them for who you used to be, but for who you are now — or who you want to be.”
That line reminded me of something I once heard while struggling to downsize: Don’t feel guilty because you made the mistake of buying something that no longer serves you (or perhaps never did.) The true mistake is keeping it now even though you don’t use or enjoy it.
In tiny living, this lesson hits hard. Every object takes up space, not just physically but mentally. As the video put it, “Sometimes keeping everything prevents you from truly enjoying anything.”
When we release what no longer fits our lives, we make space for what does — for creativity, travel, connection, and peace.
4. Do You Really Need It? Try Life Without It and See.
Though this section of video was specifically talking about selling your second car, an example he gave made a lot of sense to me. He talked about a couple who sold their second car to save money doing. However, before they got rid of it, they tried life without it. They simply put it aside and pretended they didn’t have it. Once they experienced the realities of sharing one vehicle and found that it did indeed did suit their lifestyle well, they sold it. I think this is a great idea for downsizing. If you are worried that you will regret getting rid of a particular item or living in a smaller space, pretend you are living that reality and see how it feels. Put that item or items in a box and live without them for a while.
To get a real feel for tiny living, try renting a smaller space, even for a few nights or a week or rope off parts of your home and try living in a smaller footprint for a couple of months.
5. Letting Go of The Past
One of the most powerful sections of the video touched on something deeper: identity. The speaker talked about how many retirees struggle to let go of who they were — their titles, their roles, their sense of purpose tied to their work.
He said, “You can’t discover your new identity while clinging to your old one.”
That truth extends far beyond retirement. Whether you’re moving into a tiny home, simplifying your life, or stepping away from a career, you can’t fully embrace what’s next if you’re still holding on to what was.
Tiny living invites us to rediscover who we are when we strip away the excess — to explore what makes us feel alive, useful, and connected outside of labels or possessions.
The Framework for Letting Go
At the end of the video, he shared a simple three-step framework — questions that guide what to keep and what to release. With just a few tiny tweaks, they fit perfectly for anyone considering tiny living:
Does this serve my new life or my old one?
Was this important because of who I was, or who I’m becoming?
Will I actually use this in the lifestyle I want to live?
Am I keeping this out of habit, or because it adds value to my life?
What is this really costing me?
Money, time, energy, space, and peace.
Every item you keep requires a piece of your attention.
If I let this go, what becomes possible?
What experiences could be freed up?
What stress could be eliminated?
How would simplifying this area of my life feel?
The Golden Lesson
Near the very end, he said something that stopped me in my tracks: “Retirement isn’t about deprivation. It’s about optimization — about getting rid of things that no longer serve you.”
Isn’t that exactly what tiny living is about? Tiny living isn’t about giving up comfort or style — it’s about optimizing your life so that every inch, every dollar, and every moment supports what truly matters.
The happiest people I meet at TinyFest aren’t the ones who own the most stuff. They’re the ones who’ve learned the difference between what they own and what owns them.
So maybe the golden years aren’t meant to be a season we wait for. Maybe they begin the moment we start letting go — of clutter, of old expectations, of the belief that “someday” is when life really begins.
Because with every item, every expense, every obligation we release, something else opens up: space, peace, and possibility.
That’s the secret to a golden life — not waiting for it, but creating it, one intentional choice at a time.
✨ At TinyFest, we celebrate the freedom that comes from letting go — whether you’re downsizing, dreaming, or simply ready to live smaller so you can live bigger. Join us April 18–19, 2026 at the OC Fair & Event Center, and come see what your golden life could look like.