Latest thinking on retirement: Don't

Career Journal's advice on retirement can be summed up in one work "don't". Okay, a little explanation is helpful. Treat the retirement "less like a lengthy vacation and more like a career change." Why?

Many people give scant thought to what they will do after they quit the work force -- and the result can be depression, mental deterioration, declining health and possibly a shorter life.

In short, have a plan what you are going to retire to.

How do you do that?

Hopefully you've been thinking about it for awhile, say 30 years. If not, and you are the type to leave things to last minute, that's okay it's not too late. Try and keep working part-time at something you like to do and use the balance of time for leisure activities you enjoy. Too much of either will lead to boredom and burn-out. Is it possible to get bored of retirement-absolutely.

"No matter how much you hate your job, it is likely providing you with far more than just a paycheck. Work gives a structure to your day, lets you exert influence and garner praise, offers friendships with colleagues, and provides a sense of purpose and identity.

Second, if you're married, retirement means you will suddenly be spending far more time with your spouse. The potential for conflict is huge, especially if one spouse is used to running the household while the other works."

While it is easy to identify retirement's pitfalls, it is much harder to avoid them. Here is some help in the form of four questions:

1. What are your passions?
2. What is your purpose? ("What's your reason for getting up in the morning?")
3. How will you replace the stimulation of work?
4. What's your new role at home?

Here is a great example of how to use these questions to develop a good retirement plan. "Suppose you love tennis. If you spend your retirement playing three sets a day with friends, you will quickly become bored and unhappy. But if you coach the local high-school tennis team, you will have a sense of purpose."

If you are 20 to 30 years away from retirement you are in the best position to think about what you might want to do. If it is something quite different from what you are doing now, then you've got time to gain those skills and find out if it is something you really like doing. Do you want to teach in retirement? Try and get the opportunity to help out in a class room and talk to other teachers to see if it is really something for you. Want to live in Italy? Now you've got 30 years to learn Italian? You get the idea.