The day when you will stop working will come. Maybe it’s still a few years away and you haven’t thought about it yet. But you should, for several reasons. First, you have to start making calculations to know, even approximately, what your income will be, and then whether that income fits the kind of life you want to have when you retire. On the other hand, you should anticipate the age at which you will retire. Because expert forecasts estimate that it will get higher and higher, it should make you think about the options that will guarantee some stability or predictability for that near future.
The options are many, and range from the simplest to conceive, such as taking that course you always wanted to take, taking that trip you never had time for, or spoiling your grandchildren with all the pampering in the World, to preparing a 100% restful retreat in a senior residence, for example.
In any case, whatever choice you come up with should always take into account your expected income when you get there. So you should start by planning for the most financially demanding decisions. For example, assisted living is the most demanding but at the same time the one that frees you from a lot of constraints associated with managing life in your own home and gives you another freedom to manage your daily life. It can also be an excellent option to avoid overburdening the family with demanding tasks and to free up this time for periods of healthy family interaction, without the weight of compulsion.
The future is uncertain, but we can always give it some predictability if we know how to decide in advance what we want to do with our lives. However, don’t make any decision without consulting your family and then a specialist to help you find the best solution for your future.
Your retirement does not mean at all that you will stop being active. Quite the contrary! In fact, the number of senior travelers, for example, has been increasing over the past two decades. Will you want to be part of this group? The decision is yours.
