Retirement wishes

The future may look unclear. It is important, however, to spend time considering what your retirement wishes will be. Envision what you really want at retirement time. This will help determine financial requirements. It is important to think through this in detail. The danger is having a high level vague notion and not knowing what it will actually take financially to get there. Spending time beforehand to visualize your retirement concept will help develop a clear picture of what steps must be taken.

This process is not always easy. Think through the current structure and nature of your life. How will this translate into retirement. Asking the right questions will help develop a clearer picture. The questions below are organized in 4 basic catagories: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT).

Strengths center around areas of ability, significant experience, and success. Weaknesses can be anything that has not been done well. This could be either at work or at home. Opportunities could be having the time to do new things or develop new relationships. Threats are potential problems like poor health, disharmony in the family, or lack of funds.

Strengths

What skills/abilities do I have?
What hobbies do I have?
What outside activities am I involved with?
List friends/Family that I spend significant time with?
What organizations am I involved with?
How do I spend my vacations/Holidays?

Weaknesses

What parts of my time away from work are unsatisfying?
Do I have unresolved relationship problems?
Am I able to work if needed?
Is my current job the focus of my whole life?
Will I go downhill physically and emotionally upon retirement?

Opportunities

What needs do my family and relatives have?
What new places would I like to visit?
What social issues am I passionate about?
What day to day routines would I like to see?
What physical activities would I like to do?
What positive changes would you make?

Threats

What are my current health issues?
Do I get along with immediate family members?
Are there any new costs that I don't have now?
Do I have enough savings to last through retirement?
Are there other relatives that are in poor health?
Will I be bored?
Will my family adjust to my retirement?

The answers to the above questions will indicate areas where action or preparation is needed. Write out clear steps that could be taken to improve or explore these areas. This could be building on strengths, reducing weaknesses, Preparing for opportunities, and lessening the impact of threats.

One area that could be different in retirement is the additional cost of Health insurance for family members. If you are not an export in this area, spend time determining what the right options are for providing this security.

A good exercise is to determine how much time and effort it would take to improve in each of the areas. Are there things that can be done now to better prepare for retirement? Create a list of these action plans and then prioritize them.

Save the your work plans and use them as a guide for working through the issues. Everything you do will help in making your retirement wishes come true.

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