Each of us has a way that we do things, it is a way that we have developed over the course of our lives that helps us to get our needs met and creates a sense that things are going the way we intend them to.  This way of doing doesn’t suddenly change when we decide to retire.  A person that was fully engaged in their career doesn’t suddenly become one that can lounge around for more than a little while.  Actually, observation indicates that most of us start to tire of vacation after little more than a week. 

Try observing yourself over the next little while and take note of how you approach your life.  What does this tell you about how to make your retirement successful?

As much as you might love that beach vacation in Mexico your style may not allow for it as a retirement plan.  So, if you are considering what your retirement will look like it would make sense to pay attention to the style you have developed so far and plan a future that will make your retirement successful.  You can make changes if you want to, it requires some focus and effort and can be well worth the effort.

The authors of What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life’s Third Age suggest four distinct styles.  None of them may describe you exactly but it is a place to start getting to know what your style is.  

• Ageless Explorers have planned ahead, affording them an opportunity to have new experiences they can learn from.  They tend to be optimistic, empowered individuals who enjoy the flexibility retirement offers to engage fully and to continue to achieve much as they have done throughout life.  
• Comfortably Contents have also been achievers and have planned ahead for retirement.  They tend to see retirement as a reward for many years of hard work.  The focus here is on leisure and enjoyment of life, which usually includes travel.
• Live for Todays aren’t inclined to plan ahead.  They tend to be free-spirited with active lives and are open to new ways of doing things.  Life is not as predictable as it is for the Ageless Explorer or Comfortably Content.
• Worried Strugglers have done little planning and are rarely prepared for what life brings their way.  They do what is necessary.  They often see themselves as survivors.

Think of people you know that have retired.  What could you see in the way they had always been that eventually dictated the way they approached retirement?  So, the question is, what is your style?  Try observing yourself over the next little while and take note of how you approach your life.  What does this tell you about how to make your retirement successful?

Written by Lois MacNaughton