It's about more than dollars and cents

It seems whenever we read about preparing for retirement, the focus is financial. Will you have enough $$ to retire? How is your 401(k) doing? How much money do you need to retire?

In reality, there are many other questions that need to be answered beyond the financial ones. Even if an individual chooses to stay at his/her core career until retirement age (66 or above), they likely have 15 or 20 years (or more!) of living to do. Are most boomers prepared to "sit on the sidelines" for that long? Probably not...yet most haven't really thought about what they DO want to do.

Do they want an "encore career" or to become an "encore entrepreneur"? Do they want a mix of leisure and work? If so, what does "work" look like for them? How does travel fit in? Do they want to volunteer--where? how much? Have you given up on your dreams? Can you still achieve them?

I love one of the advertisements for the new show, "Men of a Certain Age." It asks, At what age did you give up your dreams? At what age do you want to take them back?" I believe NOW is the time to take back those dreams. Put a plan in place and ACT on it!

There are countless examples of people who have "retired" from their core careers only to achieve a dream that's been dormant for years! Some examples include: a former executive who went to clown school and is now having the time of his life; a corporate leader who became a professional dog trainer; an attorney who is now a bookstore employee with expertise in wine and motorcycles; and, a teacher who turned a love of carpentry into a lucrative second career. The possibilities are endless...

According to the Rutgers University Heldrich Center for Workforce Development study, "Most workers now see their 'retirement' not as a time for leisure and travel, but as an opportunity for more balance in their lives and as an opportunity to do fulfilling work and find avocation in what they do."

Thinking about what really matters to YOU, putting a plan in place and knowing what to do to make it happen is key to making the next phase of your life the very best it can be! Think about it: At what age did you give up your dreams? Is it time now to take them back?

"We spend the first half of our lives learning what we love--we should find a way to do those things in the second half. ---David Whyte