Creating your vision for retirement: It's about life, not just money
- Mike Brown
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
When most people think about retirement, their minds go straight to money: savings, investments, and income streams. But before you crunch the numbers, there’s a far more important step that often gets overlooked: creating a vision for your life in retirement.
Start with the big questions
Let’s begin with some foundational choices. These are the objective, practical questions that will shape everything else:
What kind of lifestyle do you want? Do you picture an active retirement filled with travel and new experiences, or a more laid-back, relaxed routine?
When do you plan to retire? Have you picked a date? Will your spouse retire at the same time, or do they have a different vision?
Where will you live? Will you stay in your current home, downsize, or move to a new city? Research shows that while retirees are often happiest in their own homes through their 70s, many prefer the social connections of senior communities in their 80s.
Will you retire fully or just scale back? Retirement doesn’t have to mean walking away cold turkey. Many find fulfillment in part-time work or consulting—just doing the parts of their job they love.
Who else will you support? Consider whether you’ll be responsible for aging parents, adult children, or even grandchildren.
These are the “true or false” parts – important, but relatively straightforward. Where things get more personal is in figuring out what to do with all that newfound free time.
What will your days look like?
Imagine it’s Monday morning. No alarm clock. No commute. Just you and 24 hours to spend however you like. Sounds great, right? But without structure, time can start slipping away – and that can be surprisingly disorienting.
It’s common to feel a loss of status or purpose when work ends. Leisure alone isn’t always enough to fill the void. That’s why it’s so important to retire to something – not just from something.
Vacations and weekends are fun when you’re working because they’re breaks from routine. But when every day feels like Saturday, that thrill can wear off quickly. Even golf can start to feel like a job if it’s all you do.
A better way: Build a routine you love
Retirement offers a blank slate – and with it, the freedom to create a life you truly enjoy. The secret? Structure. Develop routines that make your days fulfilling, while leaving room for spontaneity and big adventures.
Try this exercise: On a blank sheet of paper, write down these nine categories, and come up with three ideas for each. You’ll end up with 27 potential activities to help guide your days.
Here are the categories:
Travel – Places you dream of visiting.
Volunteer – Organizations or causes you care about.
Exercise – Activities that keep you moving and healthy.
Hobbies – Creative or hands-on pursuits.
Groups to join – Clubs, leagues, or social circles.
Study and learn – Subjects or skills to dive into.
Brain fitness – Puzzles, games, or reading.
Social network – Ways to maintain or grow friendships.
Projects – Home improvements or personal goals.
Start building a rhythm – maybe it’s golf on Mondays, volunteering on Tuesdays, date nights on Saturdays. Then sprinkle in special events like trips or family gatherings to keep life fresh and exciting.
The two most important investments
I promised not to talk about financial investing today – but there are two essential investments you need to make for a fulfilling retirement:
Your health – Physical and mental wellness are everything. Energy and vitality will shape how much you can enjoy all that free time.
Your relationships – Social connections are key to happiness and longevity. Stay engaged, keep meeting people, and nurture the relationships that matter most.
Retirement isn’t just a finish line—it’s the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Take the time now to create your vision, build your structure, and plan a life that’s not just restful, but thriving.
In my next post, we’ll tackle Step Two of our seven-step process for a successful retirement: Creating your spending plan.
Until then – start dreaming, start planning, and start designing the retirement you truly want.
