Education For Life

Are you a Canadian boomer or senior looking for how to life education ideas and information for you and your family? Let Changing Gears be your how to guide.   

A New Year. Richard Atkinson knows how to “get it right” with his Olympic approach to planning for retirement. Whether you have 5 years or 25 years until retirement, learn the practical how to steps that will lead you to retirement gold.

How to 'Win' at Retirement  

By Richard Atkinson

Athletes preparing for the Winter Olympics not only need desire and drive, they require a good training plan if success is to be achieved.  Planning is not just limited to practicing their sport, but includes healthy eating, preparing mentally for competition, visualizing success and a host of other factors.

Like the Olympian, preparing for retirement requires extensive planning and much more than the money.  Obviously pension plans, RRSPs and estate plans should be part of your preparation.  But so should; deciding the right time of year to retire, building a balanced leisure, health and wellbeing strategy, managing time effectively, enriching relationships, having fun and living retirement to its fullest!  In other words, retirement planning requires exploration and direction beyond money-related questions.

So how can you begin preparing for the retirement challenge?  What are the first steps you can take towards planning and achieving the retirement of your dreams?

Here are some practical steps to obtaining your ‘medal of retirement achievement’.

1. Educate yourself on the subject of retirement.  Read books, articles and e-newsletters (i.e. Changing Gears) about retirement.  Attend pre-retirement workshops or seminars.  Talk to your financial advisor and/or human resources professional where you work about what makes for a happy and productive retirement.  Meet with a retirement specialist to discuss issues facing a new retiree.
   
   
2. Talk to successful retirees and the steps they took to building a rewarding retirement.  Ask about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.  Ask one or more successful retirees to become your coach or mentor.
   
   
3. Join retirement agencies such as the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) or groups of retired professionals linked to your career sector.
   
   
4. Ask yourself:
   
   What will make me happy in retirement?
   
   How will I spend my time?
   
   Who’s in my retirement picture?
   
   How is my health and how will I maintain or improve my health?
   
   Create a full and detailed vision of retirement.
   
   
5. Begin exploring your options and interests.  Do you want to continue with your profession or trade, volunteer or develop creative endeavours?  Begin experimenting regarding hobbies, sports and other interests.
   
   
6. Open up discussions with your spouse or partner and friends about retirement.  Share your feelings and thoughts about the subject.  Ask for their ideas and suggestions.

Just as the Olympic athlete ‘wants to get it right’, as you enter the second longest phase of your life (retirement), you too want to ‘get it right’.  You have 10, 15, 20, maybe even 25 years or more in front of you, in which you can realize your hopes and dreams.  To make this happen, you need to know what you want and create a plan that will get you onto the retirement winners’ podium.

Richard Atkinson, author of ‘Don’t Just Retire – Live It, Love It!’ is President of RA Retirement Advisors and an expert in retirement planning. Don’t Just Retire – Live It, Love It! is available at Chapters/Indigo, McNally & Robinson, Books for Business and at www.dontjustretire.com  

Looking for a guest speaker?  Thinking about providing retirement planning for your employees?  Want to discuss a retirement question with an expert?  Contact Richard at 416-282-7320 or ramgt@rogers.com.