We all have moments while we’re working when we wish we weren’t. But are you having more of those moments lately?

You’ve worked for decades. You’ve saved a healthy nest egg. After crunching the numbers, you and your financial planner have determined that you’ll have the financial resources you’ll need for your remaining years.

Those financial considerations must come first. But once it appears you’re financially set, there’s one big question still hovering:

Am I ready to retire?

Experts advise that the answer to that question is not about being ready, but rather about getting ready. You need both a financial plan and a life plan to prepare for retirement.

When people contemplate leaving work for good, they often think about the negatives they’ll leave behind: deadline pressures, tedious meetings, and so on. But remember, positives will fall away, too.

What will you miss? Perhaps it’s the opportunity to help people, or to do creative projects, or to interact with customers. Imagine how you would create those positives outside of the job.

For many people today, retiring is a gradual process, not a leap from full time to zero. They shift to part-time work, which also can help if you’re nervous about retiring for fear of what the economy might do. By reducing your work, rather than retiring completely, you’ll earn some income and feel more secure.

Some homework can help you get ready for retirement. Talk to people who already have retired. What’s working for them? What’s not?

Also, figure out what elements you would like in your day-to-day life in retirement, such as social connections, exercise, learning opportunities, giving to your community, and so on.

Each individual has to figure out how to fashion a retirement that’s fulfilling and enjoyable. The key is to know what you want, and then believe that you can create it.

For help with your financial retirement plan, SIU Credit Union has partnered with Scott McClatchey , CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.  With SIU Credit Union Investment Services our members have access to a wide array of financial products, including services such as professional money management, retirement and education planning, and investment products including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities and insurance products.

To learn more about these and other investment tools, contact Scott McClatchey at 618-549-8632 or e-mail him at scott@allianceinvestmentplanning.com. Scott is available Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at our Giant City Road location in Carbondale or by appointment.