Check your assumptions

There are many assumptions about retirement. To have a healthy, fulfilling "next chapter" of your life you should consider these assumptions and decide which ones work for you and which ones to reject.

It's always better to deliberately make choices for the next phase of your life, instead of just "falling into something".

Here are some assumptions about retirement that I have discovered during my recent writing and coaching on retirement lifestyle planning:

• "I stop working on Friday and on Monday I have a satisfying retirement." - When there's any significant change in your life you will go through the natural phases of the "Rollercoaster of Change". You must let go of your old life, routines and relationships and start being comfortable with your new life. The time period between saying goodbye to your old way of life and loving the new life can be a long period, or a relatively short one - depending if you manage that rollercoaster ride with planning and support.
• "Retirement is one big, long vacation." - While the beginning of the "next chapter" can feel like a vacation, you can get bored after awhile. While sitting on the beach reading a book and watching the waves sounds amazing for a week or two, I'm not sure that months and months of this will be exciting. Find other things to fulfill you, that excite you and make you want to get out of bed in the morning.
• "I am going to golf every day." - Golf is a wonderful pastime! It keeps you active and outdoors. However, depending upon where you live and your level of fitness, this may not be a daily option for you. And your spouse may want to see you more than you realize! Augment golfing with other activities, ones that include your friends and family.
• "I'll spend quality time with my children and grandchildren." - Your children and grandchildren have their own lives. You will work around their classes, schedules, band trips, dance competitions, vacations, exams and work trips. They won't stop their routines just because you have more available time. Consider moving closer to your children and grandchildren so that you can become part of theirs lives, or arrange to visit them for extended vacations that fit with their situations. You might spend lots of time with them, which is a wonderful experience, but you will also need to do things for yourself when they are busy.
• "I'll travel the world to exotic places." - I love to travel, but to travel full-time takes a commitment along with planning and resources. I follow several senior bloggers who travel fulltime. They chose to divest themselves of their homes in order to travel 100% of the time. That isn't for me and, perhaps, isn't for you. So decide where you want to travel, how often you want to travel, what level of comfort you want, and how adventurous you are before you determine the financial part of the equation. You may not be able to travel half of the year, maybe your resources only allow for three trips to see the grandchildren, two domestic trips and one international trip per year. Your health and fitness levels may also have to be considered. Setting up tents and carrying a backpack for a two-week hiking trip in the mountains may not be accessible or desirable to you. 
• "My partner and I will have a wonderful retirement." - Divorce amongst seniors has doubled since 1990. You have to start working before retirement on having a strong relationship that can handle the stresses and additional time together that occurs during our next phase of life. You and your partner will need to talk about all the options open to you - don't assume they will agree with everything you want to do.

The best is certainly yet to come - if you design the next chapter of your life the right way, without assumptions and with input from family, friends and your financial advisor.

If you are interested in more help in desiging the next part of your life:

• Purchase my ebook "There's More to Retirement than Golf"
• Download my free list of "72 Things to Do in Retirement"
• Contact me at Valerie.MacLeod@HainesCentre.com
• Follow me on social media

I created the photograph accompanying this blog on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.