How Do You Define a "Successful Retirement"?

We spend much time in this country talking about retirement, the “great transition” from our working years into our golden years. Aah, a time when we get to do what we want and live life on our terms, so to speak. There is much to be thinking about, as our culture bestows. How much will we need to save? What will we really spend our time doing? How will it be different than when we were working? How will we adjust after the paychecks stop? It’s this mix of preparing for the ultimate journey, but there is so much to do that it can be overwhelming. If you are already retired, my guess is you will agree that the process can be quite emotional.

As a wealth management practice, our job at its core is to work with clients in helping them build a financial retirement plan which sustains all they wish to accomplish in their lives. Another way to put it would be that we have enough money to last for the duration. While this is of primary importance, we believe it is simply the baseline of where we begin. The finances must fall into place, but after three decades of working with many families, we believe there is more. Much more.

There are many ways to define a life well lived, and this can relate to the retirement discussion as well. Spending time with our family. Giving of your time and treasure to those in need. Creating a legacy which lives well beyond you. Living out your passion. Etc. Each one of us, when asked, may have a different answer to how we define a successful retirement. As a matter of fact, some, if not many folks may not know exactly how to define it because they have been working so long, it’s hard to prepare for the freedom. I just want you to know that it is truly ok. We are all on our own journey, and sometimes it’s about giving ourselves permission to embrace all we have worked for.

So. If you were thinking that you would get to the end of this article and learn what a successful retirement is, this is not going to be the case. The objective is not to tell you how it should be defined. That’s none of my business. However, I do want to ask you directly; how do you personally define it? Whether you are on your way, or already there, what are those key things you want to do while you are here in this world? What gives you the most meaning, and passion, and happiness? Take some time to really think about it. The way we see it, if everyone was actively living life in their own “successful retirement”, the world would be a pretty cool place!

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