ROADMAP TO A REWARDING RETIREMENT: RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
As exciting as it can be to dream about pursuing our passions, people will always play an irreplaceable part in living a rewarding life. Those people are often family members and long-time friends, but not always. Sometimes the people we envision ourselves connected to during our retirement years also include brand new faces and relationships. As you imagine the years ahead, who are the people you hope to be spending more time with than you have in the past?
- Children and grandchildren.
- Parents and siblings.
- A new spouse or partner.
- Extended family.
- Long-lost friends.
- Current neighbors and friends.
- New communities of neighbors/friends.
- People of different cultures and languages.
Now, make your list of people.
Who are the people you want to share your life with during this new era of freedom? What are your dreams?
- annual family vacations with kids and grandkids?
- living in different areas of the country or the world for periods of time?
Don’t think about the obstacles to your dreams. We’ll deal with those later. Right now, let’s paint the picture of your future how you would envision it, if nothing stood in the way. Again, if you have a partner, have them make their own people list so you can compare.
Fulfilling Your Relationship Goals
As you compile your list of people, think about what will be required to make these experiences a reality. Will it require:
- travel on your part?
- hosting people at your home or elsewhere?
Don’t be too quick to dismiss your dreams. Take it one step at a time. As Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up someplace else.” Goal setting is the big first step in achieving the rewarding retirement of your dreams.
With these goals in mind, work backward to determine how to get there from here. Ask yourself, what are some small steps that I can take now to achieve the relationship goals that are important to me in retirement?
Solicit an Outside Perspective
Financial decisions ALWAYS elicit an emotional response. Knowing that, it’s wise to get another opinion to make sure you aren’t missing the forest for the trees. It can be very valuable to have a second set of eyes look over your situation to make sure you aren’t overlooking anything.
We’ve helped many individuals and couples realize their dreams for spending their retirement years surrounded by the people who bring them the most joy. We’d love to be that fresh set of eyes to look at your situation and find the solutions that can help reap a rewarding retirement.
Look for our next article in our Roadmap to a Rewarding Retirement series where we will focus on the places you want to call home during these years. Or download our Reaping a Rewarding Retirement Workbook today.
