Have you ever tried Googling your specific retirement questions? Chances are, those Google searches gave you more confusion than clarity. We all want to rock retirement, but there is a long road from where you are today to the retirement of your dreams. 

My goal with the 5 episode What to Do in the 5 Years Before Retirement series is to teach you what you need to focus on in those years leading up to retirement. I want you to have the knowledge and power you need to truly rock retirement. If you want to learn what it takes to fulfill your retirement dreams then press play now. 

Identify your values

Many people think that they are most worried about the financial aspect of their retirement but they don’t want to acknowledge the fact that they are worried about other areas of retirement as well. Instead of recognizing these worries, they redirect their worries to the financial areas. 

One way to begin to get started planning the non-financial side of retirement is by identifying your values. Think about who you want to be. What do you want your life to represent? You can create a new identity for yourself in retirement that reflects your true self. 

Once you identify your values you can then create your mission statement. Take some time to reflect on what you really want as you work through these exercises.

Get off the career treadmill

In your career, you have been focused on achievement for decades, but in the last 5 years of retirement, you need to mentally separate yourself from your career. Work has always come first, but it won’t be that way for long. Since you are no longer trying to get that next promotion it’s time to start setting boundaries. 

Try taking a retirement rehearsal. Think about where you want to live and what you want to do in retirement and take a month off of work to go there and do what you would be doing. 

Expert advice from those who have walked the walk

Listen in to this episode to hear this interview with the Rock Retirement Club’s very own retirement coach, Kevin (Beachwalker) Lyle. He’ll share his experience from his own retirement as well as the wisdom he has learned from others in his time coaching with the RRC.

OUTLINE OF THIS EPISODE OF THE RETIREMENT ANSWER MAN

PRACTICAL PLANNING SEGMENT

• [6:39] Acknowledge the stress you feel
• [8:02] Identify your values
• [13:22] You need to get off the career treadmill
• [19:05] Book recommendations 

Q&A SEGMENT

• [22:34] Why don’t more planners use a fee-only structure? 
• [33:30] Annuities are now offered in 401K and 403B plans, are there any plans with lower fees?
• [35:47] Stop looking for a deeper meaning to everything
• [37:05] Can you use an HSA plan for healthcare premiums?

TODAY’S SMART SPRINT SEGMENT

• [40:23] Think about the non-financial changes that will happen in retirement

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

BOOK - Halftime by Bob Buford

BOOK - Boundaries by Henry Cloud

BOOK - The New Retirementality by Mitch Anthony

Annuity series

Rock Retirement Club