What’s a retirement goal (and how do you actually build some)?
A goal is about what you want to make happen. And, to have an epic retirement, you need real goals.
When people hit midlife or start thinking about retirement, the first question that pops up is: “What are your goals?” And the answer I hear all the time is, “Well, we’ve got about £250,000 in pension pots and we own our home… what can we do with that?”
It’s a fair question. But it’s not a goal. That’s just your starting point.
A goal is about what you want to make happen. And, to have an epic retirement, you need real goals.
I sought out the scientific definition of a goal - to make them easier to understand. Scientists say that a goal is a desired outcome that wouldn’t otherwise happen unless you did something differently. That’s the magic of goals — they’re not about drifting along on autopilot and getting what would inevitably happen anyway, they’re about deliberately steering your life towards something better.
And honestly, midlife and retirement are the perfect times to get clearer on goals. Why? Because without them, it’s easy to lose motivation. You end up filling your days but not really building the life you actually want.
Why goals matter now
When you set a goal, you’re basically saying to yourself: I’m prepared to shake things up a bit. That could mean building new habits, trying out something you’ve never done before, or putting some money and energy into making change.
The process forces you to:
Picture what you actually want, not just what’s on offer.
Commit to showing up for yourself — emotionally, physically, financially.
Push through the bumps along the way, instead of giving up.
Without that, especially once you’ve stepped back from full-time work, it’s way too easy to slide into drifting mode.
How to build retirement-related goals that stick
Here’s the simple way I like to think about it:
Visualise it — imagine it properly, in colour, not just the vague “I’d like to travel more.” Where, how often, with who?
Define it — write it down as something clear and specific.
Break it down — what steps and habits actually get you there?
Commit to it — tell someone, book something, or spend something so you’re accountable.
Review it — keep checking in, tweaking, and celebrating the little wins.
Your turn
Grab a notebook (or the back of an envelope, let’s be real) and jot down three things that won’t happen in your life unless you deliberately make them happen. Here’s some inspiration…
Idea 1 — I want to downsize into a sensible house in the country with a garden, where I can actually enjoy my mornings without battling traffic or endless DIY.
Idea 2 — I want to finally plan that trip to Australia to see my sister and her family, instead of just talking about it on Zoom every Christmas.
Idea 3 — I want to carve out time to get properly fit - not just walking the dog, but signing up for a class, training for something, and feeling proud of it.
Idea 4 — I want to learn Italian well enough to order wine and chat without panicking.
Idea 5 — I want to build up enough in my ISA to give me £500 a month extra in retirement income.
Congratulations — you’ve just planted the seeds of some proper goals.
Well happy Sunday! I hope the sun is shining where you are. (People regularly write back to me and scowl about their weather as they’re reading this but it’s sunny most of the time where I live in Brisbane Australia).
Big news! My footy team just won the grand final…No, that’s not it (well they did!).
The actual big news is that I’ve just wrangled the final edit on the manuscript of the UK edition of How to Have an Epic Retirement and pressed send to my publisher. And let me tell you — it’s been a wild ride. The big framework is still there, but everything else has been pulled apart and rebuilt completely so it actually makes perfect sense for UK life.
This week it heads off to print — thank goodness my publishers, Short Books, are in charge of that bit. I’ve even got a brand-new cover nearly ready to ‘reveal’ to you in days to come that’s created especially for the UK. It feels a bit like packing a suitcase that finally zips shut after sitting on it — one part relief and one part excitement.
And next weekend, I’ll be hopping on a plane and heading your way. First stop: catching up with pension funds and all the wonderful ‘retirement sector’ people in London. Then it’s off to Manchester to speak at the Pensions UK Annual Conference — the big one. Eeek. If there’s one conference to be able to go to six weeks before you launch a retirement book in the UK - I think that’s it!
Anyone want a catch up in London? I may be able to wrangle one small gathering at a local - to meet some of our Epic Retirement community. Drop me an email (just reply) and we’ll see what we can do to gather a small group of us centrally.
There’s so much epic bubbling away in the UK right now, and I’m really looking forward to being there in person to stir things up. If you have ideas, inspiration, stories to tell or questions you want answered - email me (again just hit reply)! And until next week - make it epic.
Many thanks! Bec Wilson
Author, podcast host, columnist, retirement educator, and guest speaker