Retirement is one of the most significant changes you will ever experience, yet most people do more research and spend more time planning a vacation than they do their retirement.

Until now, retirement planning meant: ‘Do you have enough money?’ because retirement planning comes from financial planners and life insurance companies. However, if we are going to spend 30 or 40 years in this phase of life, we must plan it properly and well in advance.

Despite the significant changes that are occurring, most people live in today’s world and plan for retirement yesterday. So why should we approach retirement any differently?

• Today’s retirees are much healthier, more active and can expect to live longer than in the past. We are in a unique position and face a future that is nothing like the second half of our parents’ lives.

• Our retirement plans mirror those of our grandparents or parents, but our chances of living a long life are not. We live in the 21st century and plan for a 20th century retirement!

• Attitudes regarding health and wellness are myopic. Our lifestyle habits, such as diet, smoking, and drinking, illustrate the extent to which we prioritize the present at the expense of our future.

• When it comes to financial planning, our contempt for the future is blindingly obvious. Many people are saving little or nothing for retirement. Rising debt levels are rising and many are unaware of difficulties they will encounter later in life, or unsure how to plan for them.

• The percentage of middle-aged people who are divorced or separated has more than doubled in the last 20 years. A fact that puts greater pressure on our ability to care for ourselves. This was less necessary in the past, when most people were in stable relationships.

Your retirement will be as unique as your fingerprint. With effective planning, you can transform the way you approach retirement and the enjoyment and satisfaction you get from it.

Take full advantage of the opportunities it can offer you and start planning now!