The document provides guidance on retirement readiness and planning by discussing key questions and exercises people should consider as they transition to retirement. It recommends spending 2-3 years pre-retirement to work with a financial planner and spend 6-12 months decompressing after retiring to explore interests through sampling activities. It also emphasizes discovering one's values, interests, talents and limitations through personal inventories and interest assessments to help define who you want to be in retirement and find an ideal balance of meaningful, engaging and pleasant activities. Key decisions involve where you will live and spending phases over different decades of retirement. Resources like coaches, books and groups can aid the reflection process.

1. Retirement Readiness:
Who Will You Be?
Joni Lindquist, MBA, CFP®
Career and Financial Coach
Get tips at www.kcfinancialplanning.com

2. The “New Retirement”
OR, is it:
• ReFirement
• Rejuvenation
• “My/our” time
• Third age
• Financial Independence
It’s not just about the money, it’s about living an
“abundant” life

4. Timing
Pre Retirement
2-3 years
Retire –
Decompression
6-12 months
“Retirement”
• Work with financial
planner
• Sampling
• Start
reflecting/imagining
• Build framework
• Start a journal
• Rest & Relax
• Do whatever you
feel like
• Let things happen
• Assess your comfort
with change
• Explore
• Reflect
• Sampling
• Build a plan
• Modify

5. Financial Independence
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• How

6. Who do you want to be?
Two way to think about this next phase:
• Do you want to find your “true self” and
reach your full potential
• Are you more comfortable pursuing
happiness?

7. “Who are you?” said the Caterpillar. “I – I hardly know, Sir,
just at present”, Alice replied shyly, “at least I know who I was
when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been
changed several times since then.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

8. Tremendous Freedom

9. Personal Inventory
Discover
• Values
• Interests
• Motives
• Talents
• Limitations
• Legacy
Own all of these
Resources
• Coach
• Therapy
• Assessments
• Reading
• Self-Reflection

10. Interest Inventory
1. When I have free time, my favorite thing to do is….
2. When I need to reduce my stress, I will….
3. Time flies when I am busy doing…..
4. The field of study I didn’t pursue in my career but
was interested in….
5. In school, my favorite subject was….
6. On my curiosity list, my Top 3 are….
7. My favorite toys as a kid were….
8. Subjects I like to read or watch TV about include….

11. Life Balance Wheel
Intellectual
Engagement/Work
Leisure &
Recreation
Health & Physical
Fitness
Financial Fitness
Personal
Growth/Learning
Civic/Social
Community
Religious/Spiritual
Family & Friends
1

12. The
Happiness
Pyramid
Meaningful
Activities
Engaging
Activities
Pleasant
Activities
From: What Color is Your Parachute? For Retirement - Richard N. Bolles & John E. Nelson

13. Ideal Week Exercise
• Find a quiet place – use pen or computer
• Don’t be rushed
• Imagine your are writing movie script depicting a
week in your ideal life
• Describe in vivid form – cast the characters, build
props/sets, sequence the activities, outline pace
• Include your Life Balance Wheel
• Write your script! Set aside, refresh

14. Ideal Week
Meaningful
Activities
Engaging
Activities
Pleasant
Activities
% Time
From: What Color is Your Parachute? For Retirement - Richard N. Bolles & John E. Nelson

15. When - Phases
• Phase I – “Young FI”
 50/60s – 70/75
• Phase II – “Mid FI”
70/75 – 85?
• Phase III – “Mature FI”

16. Where Will You Live?
• Understand Who you want to be
• What activities will you engage in?
• Health Considerations
• Family Situation
• “Dual” homes – north in summer, south in
winter
• Financial Capability

17. Screens
• Financial Plan
• Health Considerations
• Building Social Relationships/Support
Network

18. How – Retirement Cycle
Reflect
Sampling
Build
Your
Pyramid
New
"Routine"
Explore

19. How -- Resources
• Financial Planner
• Coach
• Groups
• Therapist
• Books and websites

20. Who will you be?
Who, What, Where, When & How