According to some of the books you can read on living a long and successful life, the key is planning for the future rather than leaving things to chance. Future needs are tackled early on in life which means being better prepared and feeling less stressed about what the future may hold.

This kind of approach comes with no guarantee of success, but it does increase the odds.

Thinking about where and how you’re going to live, determining your final wishes by making funeral plans, and keeping good records are just a few examples of what you can do.

If you need some help deciding where to start, there are some key planning needs you need to face as you get older and your retirement years grow ever closer.

Think About How You Can Achieve Retirement Self-Sufficiency

Achieving self-sufficiency is a process that starts a long time before you reach the age of retirement. It’s not just about being financially self-sufficient either. You don’t want to be stressed about making ends meet every month. Neither do you want to be a burden to your family. 

You’re going to beed to make some difficult and uncomfortable admissions relating to how much money you’ll need. That might also require some adjustments to your dreams to match reality. 

Plan for the Worst Case Scenario

Making plans is very difficult when you don’t know what’s going to happen. However, if you plan for the worst, you’re going to get most things covered. 

For example, you might want to consider purchasing additional life insurance so that your partner can sleep at night knowing there will be a cushion if something happens. 

Long term care plans are something else that needs to be considered. We are all living longer, but not without associated medical and health issues that often require special care. 

Decide Where You’re Going to Live

For most people, being able to age in place is preferred. If this is what you want, look around your home and see if it’s going to be suitable if you were in a wheelchair, for example. 

Furthermore, is the community supportive or are you very isolated? When the time comes that you can no longer drive, do you have access to public transport? How will you do your shopping or visit the doctor’s office?

Have you thought about whether a seniors-only retirement complex might be an option? 

Do you have any geographical preference?

What kind of care will you be able to afford?

All of these questions are important.

Keep Records

It’s not something you want to think about, but should you die tomorrow, how easy or hard would it be for your loved ones to find and access all your legal documents and financial accounts? 

Are the basic legal documents already drawn up or do you need to write your will and organise a power of attorney? 

Make sure there are several copies of key documents and account information, including online access passwords. 

You’re likely going to have files on your computer. Keep one set on your home computer and back copies on a “cloud” or external hard drive. 

What Kind of Legacy Would You Like to Leave?

There’s nothing against which you can measure the impact you’ve had on the world and those around you. You’ve probably got your own yardstick but have you thought about how you measure up to your own standards? 

Take a good look in the mirror, because if you need to make some major changes in your life, you don’t want to wait until your final days to do it. If you look closely enough, you might even realise that you’ve been on the right path all along.  

What are Your Final Wishes?

It is a common belief that making key decisions about the end of your life well in advance is very helpful. As you get close to death, it’s not always possible to make such decisions. You may be physically or mentally impaired which means your family has to make the call. 

Think about whether you want to die at home, in a hospice, hospital, or care facility. Are all the proper documents correctly executed so that your partner or family member has the authority to make medical decisions on your behalf? Do they know your end-of-life preferences? 

Would you like to be buried or cremated? Do you have a final resting place in mind? Who will write your obituary in the local newspaper and is there anything you’d like it to say? 

Making all these decisions and plans is not going to be a joyful memory to take with you, but it will be giving your family and loved ones an invaluable gift. Rather than wondering about how you’d like things handled when you die, they’ll be able to focus on the loving aspects of your life.