Most people who are approaching retirement age are asking a similar question; what will it be like? Others assume that they’ll take a couple of months off and then determine what happens from there. Somewhere between the fear about filling your days and lethargy may be the perfect opportunity for your retirement. It’s important to think about the strategy and planning how you’ll spend the next few decades when you do walk away from work. 

You’ve probably made a tremendous number of life changes between the ages of 20 and 40. You got married, moved a few times and saw your children grow from babies to adults. The years between 60 and 80 will not be as different as you are thinking. You’ll need plans, goals and flexibility to adjust when your life circumstances change. Pursuing your passion, staying healthy, continuing to communicate, giving back and getting organized are some of the most common goals for people approaching retirement.

Choosing where to live and planning things out with their spouse or partner are strongly recommended so that you can ensure that everyone is on the same page. You may even be interested in figuring out how to adjust with your loss of work identity or how to prepare for your finances in retirement when you are no longer receiving a regular paycheck.

All of these goals can be accomplished by looking ahead to the future and thinking about how you envision your retirement and then planning in conjunction with an experienced estate planning attorney and a financial planner. Engaging with professionals in this way gives you an overview of the different opportunities available to you and the next steps that you need to take to prepare for a future in retirement.