This months questions:

What should I do to prepare for retirement?

Now my answer to this question is one that is applicable to many different transitions of life. Situations such as, when you are preparing to leave high school, when you are looking to change occupations, when you are looking to enter into a new relationship.

I will work my way through a few key points to attempt to give my perspective on what should be considered in these types of situations.

1. Think what before how

We will start with what; in my mind is undoubtedly the single most important point to a successful transitional shift. Most times when people are planning a transition in their life, they start to look at what they are going to do. And when you think about it, this type of thinking does make sense. However the biggest problem to overcome when making a transitional shift is how will the new aspect be able to replace the old. E.G Will what you do in retirement, provide similar things to what you did prior to retirement.

So my suggestion is when you begin the process associated with making a transitional shift in life, to start by looking at what is it you want to get from the experience as opposed to what are you going to do to gain that experience?

When I say what is it you want to get from the experience, I say that so you look at the question from a number of different angles.

Financially
Spiritually
Physically
Emotionally
Holistically

The reality is that regardless of what the things you are looking to gain from the experience end up being, there will be numerous methods by how that can be delivered.

For instance if you were wanting to get the following from the experience of retirement.

Fun
Challenges
Freedom
Relaxation
Personal growth
Unstructured
Sense of purpose

There are probably numerous pursuits that you could do that would provide these types of benefits. Some would suit you, your personality, your circumstance, your budget, and your wants and needs, where as others would not.

Work your way through the ones that will do it the best and all of a sudden, you have a transition that has you doing the things you want to be doing and providing you with the things you want to gain from doing it.

2. Where you end up

You have probably heard it said a few times but for me whenever we are looking to make transitional changes in our life, it is not that important where you start but it is important where you end up.

Retirement (like the other situations outlined) is an evolutionary process it will continue to provide great excitement, achievement frustration, happiness challenges no matter what. And that and so much more is what is going to make it a wonderful and enjoyable experience.

As time goes on you will continually see yourself going to different places both geographically, spiritually and personal growth wise. You will see yourself at times being a long way from where you started and that is OK.

3. Be an active participant

Life and what comes with it will be to some degree a master and servant relationship. In good times chances are you will be the master, in less than good times the reverse is usually the norm. You need to be an active participant before, during and after any aspect of transition within your life.

Don’t sit around waiting and hoping that good things will come your way, that your retirement (or anything else for that matter) is going to be all that you want and more. If you want great things to happen in your retirement years then do what needs to be done to see it happen.

4. Have a great circle of influence

When we are going to make a transition, any transition in life for that matter, there are usually a group of people we go to for insight, advice and to gain information and perspective and in doing so, allowing us greater clarity about the situation and how we feel about it.

Make sure your selection of go to people is based on experience, relevance, honesty and perspective. The last thing you want when you are making a serious decision in relation to life is a YES person or group. You need quality information and perspective, not just friends giving you heartfelt pity.

In regard to the specifics of the transition of retirement, you will need a group of professionals (usually financial) to help you with some of the decisions that you will need to make, once again choose carefully.

5. Don’t limit yourself

I would imagine that somewhere though our interactions you have heard me say that the only limitations we have in life are the ones we put on ourselves. Be prepared to push away the barriers, to go to new places and to enjoy the experience.

Don’t sit back and use the type of thinking that life, as you know it ends when you walk away from the work force. Rubbish, absolute rubbish. Life goes to new and exciting places when you decide it does.

The day you begin any new transitional shift an entirely new chapter begins for you. A chapter that can be whatever you want it to be, as long as you know what you want, and you are prepared to go do what it takes to deliver it.

Don’t ever limit yourself to what any aspect of life can provide because as soon as your thinking becomes limited, there is a corresponding limit to what you will get.

Life and what you want from it will always be provided. That is; if you are prepared to make it happen.

And as you do remember:

The Journey Continues!