Why should retirement consist of one uniform block of time in your life? Was your work life similarly monotone? Of course not, you shape-shifted through many tasks, jobs, perhaps careers. So you know about phases during your working life, and how a new phase of work may either be imposed on you from above, or you will plan for it.
I have written before about the importance of the first few years postwork when you are probably brim-full of plans, energy and good health. Let’s call this phase one of postwork.
Now consider the possibility of phase two of postwork. This may happen after about five years when you are ready for new challenges. My thought is that you could start to plan phase two before it comes knocking on your door.
Quite simply, you could review what you have achieved so far, say at year four, then evaluate and most importantly dream of future possibilities.
Don’t have phase two drop on you, plan for it, just as you did during your work life.
Retirement: You won’t know what it is like until you get there.