Are you ready for the day when you hang up the “Gone Fishing” sign and begin to enjoy your golden years? Well, maybe the joy of fishing isn’t your retirement dream, but have you thought about what your dream is and how it might be realized? Retirement planning isn’t about reaching a certain age any more but about building quality into the rest of your life.

The rest of your life turns out to be quite a bit of time. The Social Security Administration set the retirement age at 65 in 1936. If the decision was made today and you adjusted for our greater life expectancy, retirement age would be 79.

The average age of retirement today is an amazing 57. That leaves 30 years of life expectancy to go. Planning for that full third of your life takes on a whole new significance.

More and more people are viewing retirement as an opportunity to explore interests they didn’t previously have the time or resources to pursue. Rather than slowing down, today’s retirees are sometimes speeding up and beginning new careers or starting new businesses.

The important thing is deciding what kind of retirement will suit you best.

When to retire and what to do in retirement become very individual questions.

What happens to a couple with differing retirement feelings and goals?

My friend Hank was ready to close his accounting practice after a steady 35 years. His wife, Sharon, had just returned to the work place and wanted a few years to enjoy her late-start career. Hank was hankering to charter a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Sharon was decorating her new office in a San Diego high rise. Obviously, they have some future plans to negotiate.

Asking yourself and your significant other some questions about retirement will bring the future into focus. Before taking on the all-important question of financing your golden years, give some thought to the psychology of this major life transition

First, ask yourself how you feel about work. If you have a job you really enjoy, how will you replace that enjoyment after you retire?

Next, think about your support system. Do you have or can you build a circle of friends and associates outside the world of work?

Finally, what do you do in your leisure time? Do you have plans and goals for future activities?

Everyone’s “Gone Fishing” sign will read a little differently. Make sure you know what spells quality of life for you as you start your retirement planning