I was reading an article about financial planning for retirement and went into it side-eye because I’m always expecting the worse. Those articles never inspire me to want to retire, let alone show me how to aspire for something great. My problem with financial planning articles?

1. They start off telling you that if you had started saving for retirement when you were two. you’d be able to ride into your golden years a guzillionaire. Nobody wants to hear about what they should have done when they were young. That ship has already sailed. It’s called ‘young and dumb’ for a reason and most of us were swimming in the deep end.

2. Then they tell you to double up on what you put into retirement to make up for the couple of decades of compound interest you lost from not investing at age two. I don’t know about you but I can’t afford to double up on much of anything except worry and anxiety – those are free and in abundance. Which is why I write romance. Escapism.

3. They tell you all this in the tone and manner of lack and despair. ‘Cause they’re written by financial experts who always seem to deliver financial news with a death knell in lieu of the sunny optimism some of us require to absorb difficult information.

So color me surprised that I enjoyed “Didn’t Save Enough for Retirement? Here Are 7 Things You Can Do” by Ann Brenoff. The tone is someplace between sunny & dire and a little more palatable than others I’ve read.

I know what you’re thinking, this is not a retirement blog. But it is an edgy inspirational contemporary romance blog – a place for you to come to find the extraordinary. So when I think of retirement I aspire to represent the very things this blog celebrates. My retirement will not be a period of worrying, lack or loss. I want to look forward to it. I want to revel in it. I want to tear it up with the passion of a true romantic. I want – and expect – a romantic adventure, many times over. I’m guessing you do, too.

You probably think that once you get to retirement you will be happy just to be able to relax, for once. But I’m telling you, you will want more. And you will need more. It’s the end of a career, not the end of your life. Decide now how you want to fill those days.  No plan and once there you might start to lose your sense of purpose. It’s happened to a lot of good women who wanted to enjoy retirement and found themselves less-than fulfilled.

Remember, as long as God gives us breath, that’s how long we should continue to live like we’re expecting something wonderful around every corner. A plan to make your soul happy in retirement is a gift to ourselves and a way to show gratitude to God for the life we’ve been given.

I challenge you to plan for an extraordinary retirement just like you plan for how to spend or save your money. Round out that financial spreadsheet with reminders to include the things that matter. And then choose a picture that puts an image in your mind of how you want to feel well into your retirement years. Add it to your Pinterest board or go old-school vision (aspire) board for your private viewing. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it. Because we’ve all known women who got lost in how they were supposed to enjoy in retirement. Don’t do what you’re supposed to do. Do what you want to do.

I’d love to hear what you want your retirement to look like if you care to share. What conventional or unconventional ways do you see yourself enjoying retirement?