Ok, let's face it. Everyone's perception of retirement is different. Some people think that retirement is a time to withdraw and relax from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. They see it as a time to enjoy low-keyed activities that truly make them happy. Activities like traveling, sleeping, watching television, writing a book, reading magazines, spending quality time with their grandchildren, watching foreign films, going on lunch outings, etc. On the other hand, some people view retirement as a totally different opportunity. They see it as a time to get busy. A time to pursue lots of high keyed activities like playing tennis, going to the health club, attending Jazzercise classes, etc. They see it as a time to redirect their career path through paid or volunteer work. They see it as an opportunity to enhance their previous work related skills. There is still another group that takes a "middle of the road approach" and sees retirement as a time to relax while pursuing worthwhile activities. Regardless of what your vision of retirement entails, we've created this article to help you. In this article, we'll discuss 7 proven steps to help you choose and have the type of retirement you want. So, sit, back, relax and learn how to make your retirement a personal success story. 1. Decide to retire and make a decision to do so. First and foremost, you must have the desire to retire. You don't just retire because someone else has retired or tells you that it is a good thing and come out there because they're retired. Instead, you must have the burning desire to retire and want to make your vision a reality. This is because retirement is an individual decision and if you follow your own mind, you'll know when your time has come. 2. Visualize yourself as a happily retired person. Second, take some quiet time and truly visualize yourself as a retired person. Figure out whether you would be happier being busy and active or relaxed and living the simple pleasures of life or a combination of the two. Then, figure out if you'll try new and challenging things. In essence, you must figure out what truly makes you happy and what will bring you joy and personal satisfaction. 3. Evaluate current lifestyle and make necessary changes. Third, evaluate your current lifestyle, financial situation and then decide whether your retirement income will provide you with enough money to support your current needs. If not, are you willing to make any financial lifestyle changes to sustain your current lifestyle? Are you open to changing your lifestyle? Are you willing to work part or full time to achieve your financial goals? Once you've done this, evaluate your current lifestyle to see how it fits with your new plan. For instance, are you currently doing things in your life that will make the transition to retirement easier? If your primary goal is to make a difference in the world, are you currently engaged in any meaningful volunteer activities? If not, why not? 4. Plan out your retirement. Fourth, you're now ready to plan out your retirement. With a firm sense of your current finances and retirement goals, you can now plan how you'll spend your days. Be very specific about how you intend to spend your time and how you'll accomplish all of your goals. For example, if you intend to strengthen the bond with your grandchildren during retirement, perhaps you can plan a weekly play date with them or volunteer to pick them up from school right now so that you can slowly transition into this new relationship endeavor. 5. Transition into retirement. Fifth, get ready to transition into retirement. For instance, if you're the type of person that visualizes retirement as a time to relax but you're currently a workaholic then you should transition into a more relaxing life. You can do this by slowly downshifting your extended work hours and begin pursue more leisurely activities until you are comfortable resting more and working less. 6. Take steps to make your vision a reality. Sixth, be willing to put forth the effort to make your vision a reality. For instance, let's say that your vision is to become a gourmet cook but you don't necessarily have the skills. Well, you can obtain them. You can go to cooking school, watch cooking shows, and really hone in and enhance your skills. You can learn how to prepare gourmet meals if you really want to do so. 7. Enjoy yourself. Last but not least, have a great time. Be confident in knowing that your retirement can be successful if you make it so. In conclusion, you can successfully choose and create the type of retirement that you truly want by desiring to retire and making the decision to move forward with your plans, visualizing yourself as a happily retired person, evaluating your current lifestyle and making necessary changes, planning your retirement and working with your plan, transitioning into retirement, and getting in a mindset to enjoy being retired. By following these steps, you'll enjoy the retirement that you've always dreamt about. |
