10 Questions For Retirement

Preparing for retirement can be a daunting task. Most people are planning the financial part of retirement including how much money will it take to live on and what are those things like gift-giving and possibly taking care of family members, that are not usually part of the retirement equation. Adequate healthcare is always at the top of the list. But what are other questions for retirement? What will you do? How will you stay “alive”? How will you make life meaningful for perhaps several decades to come?

That one question stymies many people from moving out of the formal, corporate work or saying good-bye to their business. For anyone whose personal persona ties directly to their working persona, it may be difficult to determine how to find purpose or meaning. Other concerns can create fear. What if I move – how do I make new friends? How do I manage the discomfort of getting out of my comfort zone? Will I be lonely?

Having been there and done that, let’s walk through some additional questions for retirement that may help you as you navigate your preparation for your own retirement. These questions may also be good for a life change as well. Perhaps you are considering moving to a new area, state, or even country. Maybe a recent life crisis is making you think about your current situation and you want to walk through your motivations and envision a new life for yourself. Let’s get started.

10 Questions to Consider for Retirement

1. Walk yourself through a usual retirement (or new life) day. Describe how do you want to live. What does a usual morning, mid-day, and evening look like?

a. Who are you with?
b. What are you doing?
c. What are you feeling?
d. What are you saying?

2. What does an exceptional retirement or new life day look like?
3. Walk yourself through a whole week of retirement or new life. How does it feel by the end of the week?
4. What are 10 things you want to do in retirement or your new life?
5. How does what you have now support these activities?
6. What is still required to live this new life?
7. How will you prepare yourself over the next three to five years?
8. What are 10 things that are important to you as you live your last 20 years or your new life?
9. What are the things that might be unexpected? (Social/emotional/physical/financial)?
10. How will you prepare and address the unexpected? (Social/emotional/physical/financial)?

Making a change is not easy for some. For others, they can flip a switch and move forward quickly. Especially for retirement, when finances are a key issue and a steady, financial situation helps make other parts of the dream possible, fear may limit moving forward, create stagnation, and support staying in the comfort zone.

Take time to visualize your future. Pause, move into yourself, and imagine what it truly feels like to live the life you want. Be it climbing 14ers, having a cottage food business, or volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, you will find your place, your new role, and your new life.

Preparing for a move? Getting ready for retirement?  Preparing for a future emergency? Get started today!