Doing the math to prioritize your retirement list

A significant percentage of Fit-To-Retire clients come into our office with a bucket list a mile-and-a-half long and no idea what to do with it.

We call these folks “High Enthusiasm/Low Preparation” clients. And, we love working with them.

What’s not to love? The High Enthusiasm client wants to suck the marrow out of retirement by doing anything and everything as soon as humanly possible. They’ve got places to go, people to see, adventures to experience. Many of them have waited their whole lives to go, see and do, and they can’t wait to get started.

The only problem? Many of them don’t know how to prioritize.

It’s the rare person who has the time and money to check all the boxes on their bucket list. Even if you’re fortunate enough to have the financial resources, you never know how many years you’ll have in what we fondly call the Go-Go season of retirement. Until you figure out how to clone yourself to be in five places at once, you have to decide what’s most important to you. Separate your real wants from the whims, your passions from passing thoughts.

If you’re one of those HE/LP types (take our complimentary assessment here to find out), take heart. Here’s an easy and effective way to put your goals in order and all it takes is the simplest math.

This article in The Travel Type provides the formula to rank your retirement goals based on a calculation of Time, Cost and Passion. The infographics make it easy to visualize.

It’s also a great exercise for couples to do – alone, and then together. By “doing the math,” you may find that the trip to Vietnam you’ve been talking about for so long is actually a lower priority for both of you than going back to school or moving to another town.

When it comes to fitting your prioritized “life list” into a comprehensive financial plan, your Fit-To-Retire coach has all the know-how you need. Start the process today. Take the assessment and allow your coach to help you realize your passions on a schedule that makes sense and provides the utmost satisfaction.