DECIDE UPON YOUR TRUE DREAMS AND GOALS; Planning For Retirement.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)(IBD'S 10 SECRETS TO SUCCESS)

Byline: Robin Grugal

2 For many of us, the ultimate goal is early retirement. It's the final reward for a lifetime of hard work. But it takes much planning, and not just the financial kind.

"The sticking point is that even as we do the things we've dreamed about, many of us find ourselves confronted by a superabundance of free time," said Robert Critchley, author of "Rewired, Rehired or Retired?" "Finally, we reach the point in life where we can relax and occupy our time as we choose, but reality does not always match the dream."

Some people count the years, months and days until retirement, but never express any desire to undertake anything once retired. It is absolutely imperative, Critchley says, to plan a retirement that has you remaining active, with mental, social and physical stimulation.

** Get started on a plan. Critchley suggests finding a relaxing place where you can close your eyes and imagine what the perfect life would be. Look around you. Where are you? Who's with you? What are you doing? How do you feel? After you have finished indulging in this vision, ask yourself if you can make that vision happen.

Write down how you would like retirement to be. Then step back and analyze. Is your perception of retirement based on reality?

** Consider your mental health. Most people don't give a lot of thought to how they'll react to retirement. Though it creates more time for leisure, retirement can lead to high levels of stress and anxiety, Critchley says. Retirement is often perceived as an ending ...