Don’t retire if you still love your job. Don’t retire if you don’t love your job, but still want to work; change jobs.
Don’t retire until you can safely afford to.
Don’t retire because you want to move somewhere else. Find a new job there and then move.
Consider retiring when you no longer like your job or when you need long term physical and/or mental relief.
Consider retiring when you are excited about starting a new career.
Before you retire you must learn to play. People who have always worked to advance themselves quickly become unhappy when they no longer have a goal.
Play by definition is anything you like to do as an end in itself. If you like to play the piano or any other musical instrument, that’s a start. If you like to paint or create any form of art, that’s good too. If you like to make or repair anything for sheer pleasure, you may be ready to retire.
If you don’t already have enough joy in your life, you must find it before or after you retire. I never planted a plant or cooked a meal before I retired, but I do it daily now. I cleaned house only under duress when I was working, but I take pride in discovering new ways to do it now.
I have been prepared for retirement by a lifelong passion for sports and games. I no longer bowl or play tennis and my golf game is shrinking every year. But I took up pool the year before I retired and have become more skilled every year since.
I have played chess since I was seven years old and will always be a chess duffer, but my rating is creeping up with more time to study and play.
The point of all this is not what you like to do but that you can do what you like as an end in itself. Having new goals is fine, but in retirement the future is now.
I have not yet mentioned the most important preparation for retirement. There needs to be love in your life. If you have or will celebrate your golden anniversary with your husband or wife, you are very lucky. If you love and often see your children and their children, it’s retirement riches.
In my own case, I was orphaned at a young age and lost my first wife a long time ago. The year I retired, I remarried and we soon will celebrate our silver anniversary. We haven’t always agreed about everything, but an original spouse or a wonderful replacement is the most important part of a happy retirement.
Keeping old friends and making new ones is good too.