A New Game Without a Scoreboard: Reflections on Identity, Purpose, and Acceptance in Retirement - Softcover

Troup, Daniel J.

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798996530113

Publisher: Daniel J. Troup, 2026

Synopsis

You planned for the money. Nobody warned you about the silence.

For decades you were measured: quotas, titles, reviews, promotions. Then one day the scoreboard goes dark, and the question arrives: Who am I when my work is no longer the answer?

After more than thirty years in technology sales and leadership, Dan Troup retired at 57 and discovered what no financial plan covers. In A New Game Without a Scoreboard, he shares the honest, funny, and sometimes uncomfortable story of what came next: the dark airport terminal where he decided to retire, the "retirement failures" along the way, and the discovery that he was still keeping score, right down to his pickleball rating.

Inside you'll find:

• Why leaving work can feel like invisibility, and what brings you back into view
• What to do when retirement wasn't your choice
• The Full Bucket Paradox: why spending what you saved can be harder than saving it
• Four guideposts for measuring a good life without a scoreboard: health, relationships, contribution, and learning
• Why acceptance may be the real work of the Second Act

This isn't a financial guide or a five-step plan. It's a conversation, the kind you'd have with the guy at the pickleball court who asks if you're retired and keeps asking questions. It takes a few hours to read and stays with you longer.

A thoughtful gift for someone approaching retirement, newly retired, or watching a partner go through it.

About this title

About the Author

Daniel J. Troup is a writer, blogger, mentor, and retired business executive whose work explores the intersection of career, identity, purpose, and life after work. After a 30-plus-year career in sales, marketing, leadership, and career coaching, he retired at age 57 and began navigating the often-unexpected transition from professional achievement to a new chapter in life.Drawing on his own experiences, Troup writes about retirement, family, friendship, aging, personal growth, and the search for meaning beyond traditional measures of success. His essays combine storytelling, reflection, humor, and practical wisdom to examine the challenges and opportunities that accompany life's major transitions.He is the creator of The Sunny Side of 57, a blog dedicated to reflections on life, family, career, and retirement. Through his writing, he encourages readers to think more deeply about identity, purpose, acceptance, and what it means to continue growing long after a career ends.Prior to retirement, Troup held leadership positions in sales and marketing with several technology companies and later founded a career coaching and consulting practice. He also serves as a volunteer mentor with SCORE, helping entrepreneurs and small business owners pursue their goals and build successful ventures.A New Game Without a Scoreboard is his second book, and his first focused on retirement and life after work.Daniel lives in Central New York with his wife, Sue, and their dog, Rigby. When he is not writing, he enjoys walking, pickleball, mentoring, spending time with family, and exploring the back roads and lakes of Upstate New York.

Edition details

• Publisher: Daniel J. Troup
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798996530113
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 167