Count the Ways to Start Planning for Your Summer or Your Retirement

What does planning for your summer vacation and planning for your retirement have to do with each other?

I can just hear some of you saying “they have nothing to do with each other” and others saying “they have a LOT to do with each other.”

What do you think?

I have been working and learning in this area of ‘ retirement ’ for many years now and I have learned a lot from all of you.

When baby boomers plan for a vacation they consider many things such as:

•How much time do we have

•How much money can we spend

•Where would be a exciting/happy/relaxing place to go

When baby boomers think about planning for their retirement they may consider such things as:

•How many years or decades will I have in this life stage

•How much money will I have and will it be enough

•Will I work full time or part time or not at all

•Where will I live

•Will I be healthy enough to do the things I want to do

•Is retirement even an option

•Will my life have meaning if I am not working or even if I am working

•What will I do with all that time on my hands

This last list goes on and on with many different themes, beliefs and many fears for some. Fear of not having enough money and fear of the unknown is what I hear the most, as well as health fears.

Isn’t this the time of life you are all supposed to be looking forward to? You worked hard all these years and now it’s time to relax and hang a little. This is what your parents and grandparents may have done. One difference may be however, that most of you are living longer than they did which means more years to fill your time, which means more money needed.

There is one disconnect however. Rumor has it, and I believe it to be true, that you will spend more time planning for that summer vacation than you will your ‘golden years.’

You will go through magazines and brochures and websites, and you will talk with friends about their vacations. You will put quite a bit of time and energy into planning this special event and you will have fun doing so. Who doesn’t want to plan for a vacation? You probably often also hear that planning the vacation is almost as much fun as being on the vacation!

Then the reality hits. You don’t want to work the 50 hours a week anymore, you are working in a job you don’t even like, you get laid off, your health isn’t great and your getting a bit scared of your future.

Ok. That happens. Did your plan for any of this? If yes, than hopefully you have a backup plan because you have taken the time and energy to think ahead.

What you say? You didn’t plan that you might get laid off, or that you are sick and tired of your job or your boss? You thought your health was always going to be that of a twenty something year old?

Reality hits. Sometimes it’s a really lousy reality. But it didn’t have to happen that way.

You could have planned for this next stage of life, this gift, just like you planned for your two weeks’ vacation.

So, my question to you is this…….when are you going to start planning?