The Unexpected Value of Thinking Ahead

I have been working with a virtual assistant for the past two years. She is in her mid twenties and is bright, curious, and highly motivated. Together, we have spent countless hours creating a new website for my non financial retirement coaching business. She has also created webinar slides, edited articles, managed my social media posts, and helped oversee chats during workshops on coaching and retirement topics. As a result, she has become very knowledgeable about both coaching principles and the non financial aspects of retirement.

Recently, she returned home and had the opportunity to spend time with her parents, aunts, and uncles. During those conversations, she asked them how they planned to approach retirement over the next ten years or so. She also asked how they intended to replace the five major benefits of work that are essential for a successful retirement: status, socialization, time management, money, and purpose. Much to her surprise, she was met with blank stares. Her family members had never really considered how they would fulfill those important retirement needs.

What a gift she was offering her family. Most people are unaware of the challenges retirees often face, so introducing these concepts long before retirement is incredibly valuable. It gives individuals a chance to prepare emotionally, socially, and mentally before the actual transition occurs. Retirement can be a difficult and, at times, an emotionally unpredictable experience. Starting the conversation early allows people to gain a meaningful head start. It also reflects very well on my virtual assistant, who now recognizes the decisions and adjustments she herself will need to make many years before retirement. Knowledge is power, but action is equally important. What we choose to do with knowledge is what truly matters.

I once met a young nurse while I was in the emergency room dealing with some medical issues. She asked what I did for a living, and when I explained my work, she excitedly shared that she had already begun saving for retirement and thinking about how she wanted to spend those future years. She was quite unusual.

I also have a friend who is a wealth advisor. He recently told me that over the last twenty years, he has handed out his business card about one hundred times to people who did not meet the million dollar minimum required to work with him professionally. Even so, he offered them free advice on how to begin saving and earning interest on money they could start putting away immediately. Sadly, he told me that not one person has ever accepted his offer.

I suspect my virtual assistant might be the first person to do so if I give her his card.

What are some of the benefits of early planning? Preparing early for the non financial side of retirement, including purpose, relationships, health, and lifestyle, can dramatically improve long term quality of life. Beginning this process ten, twenty, or even thirty years in advance offers several important advantages.

One major benefit is developing a stronger sense of purpose and identity. Work often provides structure, meaning, and direction. By exploring volunteer opportunities, hobbies, education, or even different forms of work well ahead of retirement, people can discover activities that bring fulfillment outside of a career. This can make the eventual transition into retirement much smoother and more satisfying.

Early planning also allows people time to develop habits that support long term health. Physical activity, proper nutrition, emotional well being, and preventative care are all far more effective when practiced consistently over many years.

Social isolation is another major concern in later life. Building friendships, participating in community activities, and maintaining meaningful connections before retirement helps ensure that a strong support system is already in place once daily workplace interactions disappear.

People who plan ahead can also test different aspects of retirement before making permanent decisions. Relocating, volunteering, or pursuing part time work can all be explored in advance. These experiences provide valuable insight into what feels meaningful and enjoyable and can help prevent regret later on.

Finally, planning ahead creates a greater sense of confidence and optimism about the future. It reduces anxiety about what comes next and encourages a more positive and empowered outlook on later life.

When I coached my first retirement client, I was thirty six years old. No one questioned my

age or my ability to help people navigate a topic generally associated with individuals much older than I was at the time. About two and a half years later, I began working with another group of retirement clients following layoffs at Monsanto and Mallinckrodt involving employees who were eligible to retire. At that time, I was pregnant. Again, no one questioned my circumstances. By then, I already had fourteen years of counseling experience focused on life transitions and had recently completed a two year fellowship in Gerontology at St. Louis University.

My virtual assistant has expressed an interest in becoming a coach herself. Between her upcoming coach training and all the knowledge she has gained while working with me in retirement coaching, I can envision a future in which I pass the proverbial baton to her as she begins her own journey in the retirement coaching field. I believe she may be even younger than I was when she partners with her first non financial retirement client.