Strategies for Transitions to Retirement: 2nd Edition

Book excerpt: Are you ready for retirement? How can individuals plan for the gradual shift from working to retirement? How can they make the psychological transition from working to not working? Many retirees become ill within a year of leaving work because they fail to plan for a gradual shift from working to retirement. Individuals with outside interests are at less risk than people who spend 60 hours a week on the job, but even hobbies and interests have to be refined prior to retirement. For many people, one of the most profound periods of change is their time of retirement. People's needs and attitudes and different, however, no matter what their personal goals, current age and economic circumstances may be, the strategies they employ to plan for a satisfying retirement are crucial to their mental happiness, physical health and general survival. These strategies will either enhance the quality of their golden years or shorten them drastically.