You Gotta Have a Plan

Sitting here feeling a touch jealous seeing retired friends’ Facebook posts living the dream retirement. Golf, pickleball and seaside cocktails on the regular. On the flip side, I just had a colleague announced her retirement, but she was not excited… she is anxious, apprehensive, and confused if she is making the right choice. This one, I’m not jealous of in the slightest.

Two friends, two completely different approaches to retirement. Friend #1 planned ahead. She and her husband talked often about when, where and how they would spend their twighlight years. They had a plan and it’s now a reality… and a ton of fun. Friend #2 has attached her identity to her job to the point she’s fearful upon retirement she will not recognize herself. She’s said that she has absolutely no idea what she will do… all the while wringing her hands. I find myself not happy for her… but sad. Then I get reflective… I want my retirement to be more like #1 than #2… because #2 sounds like crap.

Moral of the story… while you’re busting your hump getting to 65… or 68… or 72… take time to really think what you want your retirement to look like. Then take steps to build a foundation to make that dream a reality.

If you know someone getting ready to retire, the Retirement Wisdom jar is a great resource for making that transition. It’s full of advice for starting this new chapter and redefining what’s important.