Have you spent any time talking with your partner about what retirement is going to look like for each of you?
The best time to start conversations about retirement life is BEFORE retirement arrives. Making sure you’re both on the same page might take some time.
It’s not always easy to begin a conversation about retirement, especially if one of you is in a different stage of working life. But taking the time to understand how each other feels about what’s coming will go a long way toward making the transition smooth so you both enjoy the next stage.
Here are some questions to answer to get you in the right frame of mind about retirement. You should answer separately from your partner and then talk about your responses together. It will probably be an enlightening conversation!
- What really matters to you in life? List 2 or 3 things that are important to you to have or continue doing in retirement.
- What goals do you have in retirement? List anything you want to accomplish, like visiting certain countries, supporting your community, writing a book.
- Do you want to end your life with money to spare or spend it all before you die?
- What are your physical/recreational plans for retirement? List the activities you intend to continue (or start).
- Do you want to stay in your current location or is there someplace else you’d like to live? Full-time or part-time?
- Is your home the right size for you and does it have everything you want/need?
- How does the rest of your family fit into your retirement picture?
After you’ve answered all the questions and you’re sure your partner has too, make a date to sit down and talk about the answers. Take the time to go over each answer carefully and talk about why each of you answered the way you did. Ask questions so you’re sure you understand!
If you’ve got the time, it wouldn’t hurt to review the questions and answers later on, to see if anything has changed for you. And remember that none of this is set in stone! You can always change your mind about what you want to do and where you want to be in retirement.
Something I always find amusing is that so many people seem to think that retirement is going to be boring or that they won’t be able to find things to do. Naturally you have to physically get off your chair and DO something; the activities aren’t going to drop into your lap from the ceiling above you. But as long as you keep an open mind about what is available to you, there will be doors opening around you all the time. Just pick one and step through it… you might be amazed by what’s on the other side!
