Retirement by Design: A Guided Workbook for Creating a Happy and Purposeful Future

I heard the author on a webinar and was so impressed I ordered the book during the presentation. Starting with page 1, a lot of my fears were calmed. I have recommended the book to my friends.

You might think that planning for retirement was easy - just stop showing up on Monday. But a successful retirement requires much more. It requires a well-thought out plan. The Retirement by Design workbook walks you step by step through the myriad issues you should consider before retiring - how to leave your current job successfully, the impact that your retirement will have on others, how you will spend your time once you are retired. The list goes on. This is a tremendous resource to help you think through your retirement planning to make your retirement your best years yet!

Ida Abbott has put together a great workbook for any senior professional trying to figure out their next stage. There are numerous thoughtful exercises to get you going on your own journey. Ida is a lawyer with decades of experience helping attorneys with their careers. I recently interviewed her about the book on the Counsel to Counsel Podcast where she talks about the challenges that professionals run up against when thinking about these existential issues. She is the retirement "oracle".

'Retirement by Design' is a Helpful Workbook for Retirees and Those Planning RetirementDo you wish you had someone to walk you through the complexities of planning your ideal retirement, especially now that your original plans may need revising because of stock market losses or an unexpected career change? Are you confused by all the choices and opportunities you will have during the last phase of your life? Are you worried you may not be able to afford to retire? If so, you are not alone. Many people are asking themselves where they can afford to live after they stop working, what they should do with their time, how to deal with a reduced retirement account, and when would be the best time for them to retire.The helpful workbook, "Retirement by Design," (Ad) was written by Ida Abbott, who has been a lawyer and legal consultant for over four decades. She has helped mentor people through their professional careers from the start of their practice through retirement. She brings design thinking to the process of retirement planning, and her insights will be very helpful to you.Topics To Help You Design Your RetirementA successful, satisfying retirement rarely happens accidentally. This workbook walks you through a range of thought-provoking topics you should consider as you plan your retirement. Among the topics you will find are:What Do We Mean by Retirement Today?Choosing a Personal Advisory TeamExploring Your Attitudes and Feelings about RetirementStarting Your Transition in RetirementKnowing Who You Are and How You Got HereThe Impact of Retirement on Your RelationshipsPotential Financial and Health ConstraintsGetting Your Legal and Medical Arrangements in OrderEnvisioning Your Future Life in RetirementOrganizing, Prioritizing, and Exploring Retirement PossibilitiesPutting Together the Pieces: Designing Your Retirement PlanHow to Get the Most from this Workbook"Retirement by Design" (Ad) is a book which would ideally be used by someone who is a few years away from retirement, although it is also helpful for people who have already retired and now find themselves feeling confused and struggling to get their retirement plan organized. Whether you are just beginning to think about your future, or you are trying to reorganize the retirement you have already started, this workbook will be very helpful.Each chapter asks relevant questions which are designed to help you clarify your thinking about what you want to do. There are plenty of blank lines and charts following the questions, so you can jot your thoughts down in the book! It will even help you transition out of a business you own, while guiding you to think about how to transfer your leadership roles and clients, and who you should tell about your transition plans.This book will also guide your thinking about your past experiences and assist you in evaluating your risk tolerance. You can list your favorite skills and consider how you may put them to use in the future.Chapter 6 may be one of the most important, because it asks you to consider the impact of retirement on your relationships. Is your spouse retiring at the same time? Do you have a home-based spouse who works from a home office or is a homemaker? How much togetherness do you want? How much do they want? This chapter also covers issues such as whether or not you should move to be near your children and grandchildren. Are you willing to be a caregiver for your grandchildren? What if you have living, elderly parents? How will your retirement affect them? There are a lot of issues to consider in this chapter."Retirement by Design" (Ad) will also help you evaluate your Social Security and Medicare benefits, estate planning, medical directives and many of the legal issues you need to consider.Finally, the book will guide you in discovering how you want to spend your free time during the final decades of your life. Where do you want to live? What hobbies would you like to pursue? Do you need to earn extra income? Would you like to volunteer? Do you have a travel bucket list?

Great book to work through and help plan and get in a healthy mindset for retirement.