I Learned This the Hard Way: Keep These 6 Things Private

Key Wellness, Self-Care, and Productivity Strategies: “Keep These 6 Things Private”

1) Don’t tell work early that you’re planning to retire/quit

• Keep your timeline private until you’re ready to submit official notice.
• Avoid giving management less-needed power over your departure date or leverage.
• If you share plans early, you may be treated differently—or pushed out sooner than planned.

2) Keep your exact finances private

• Don’t share your salary, pension details, or savings balances with coworkers, neighbors, or friends.
• Money comparisons often lead to judgment, jealousy, assumptions, and added stress or social friction.
• Exceptions:
  • Your spouse (full transparency)
  • Financial professionals (e.g., accountant, tax attorney, investment advisor) who need the details to do their jobs

3) Don’t overshare your family’s serious problems outside your core circle

• Avoid discussing your children’s, spouse’s, or siblings’ medical, financial, legal, or relationship issues publicly.
• It’s “not your story to tell,” and it can spread through social gossip—damaging trust and relationships.
• If you need to vent, keep it private with:
  • Your spouse
  • A religious leader
  • A licensed therapist

4) Never share passwords

• Don’t give anyone your passwords—even if you trust them.
• Biggest risk: email accounts are a “key to the kingdom” (password resets and access to everything).
• Recommended approach: use a high-quality password manager to store and generate strong passwords.
• If spouse access is necessary, use the password manager so they can access without you handing over the password.

5) Don’t vent about work to coworkers (keep it in-house)

• Avoid complaining about your boss or workplace to other employees.
• Workplace information can leak back to leadership and harm trust, promotions, and scheduling.
• Be careful venting to kids too—outsiders (friends/other adults) may overhear, or conversations may get back to your workplace.

6) Be extremely cautious granting Power of Attorney

• Power of attorney gives someone major control over legal and financial matters.
• Best practice: only use it when truly necessary (e.g., if you’re incapacitated and can’t manage decisions).
• If you need it, use your own attorney—not one your child recommends—so the arrangement aligns with your interests.

Presenters / Sources

• Presenter: Reese Will (Retired Life with Reese Will)
• Referenced source: An unnamed attorney friend (mentioned as the inspiration for the Power of Attorney point)