Most people face retirement with apprehension. Some have such deep-seated fears that they extend their working years indefinitely. One reason this happens is because people see retirement as a fixed, linear period that offers decreasing fulfillment, instead of a succession of states, each with special opportunities. The phases cannot be clearly separated and overlaps are to be expected—but knowing there are opportunities for fulfillment in each stage gives retirement a new, more exciting perspective. The bad news is that digging out the rewards may become more difficult as people move on to
the next stage; the good news is that they may be enjoyed and appreciated more. When considering their retirement years, one needs to keep these factors in mind: There is no such thing as a completely predictable retirement. People are more individualistic during this part of their life cycle than in the youth and adult periods.

Retirees are free to stretch or shorten some phases and eliminate others. Obviously, it
would be unacceptable to prescribe or even suggest a retirement lifestyle for another. With health as the Joker in retirement planning, no specific time periods can be assigned either to retirement as a whole or to the separate phases. People are invited,
however, to predict time periods for them. For example, people could go to a mortality
table where annuity experts predict (depending on their age and sex) how many years
people can expect to live. If the table should say 30 years, people might anticipate three years in transition, 15 years in active living, 10 years of slowing down, and two years in
assisted living.

Attitude is the psychological factor that stacks the deck in favor of a longer, more fulfilling retirement. To develop a positive attitude, anticipate getting the most out of each stage as it arrives, then recognize that each phase has its own inventory of pleasures and rewards. People must be determined to squeeze as much out of each
phase as possible. With this kind of attitude, opportunities multiply in each stage, and
with good health, it is possible to live up to their highest expectations.