Have a Picture of the Retirement You Want

Speaking of motivation, having a clear picture of what your retirement should look like is yet another important step.

Here, we don’t just mean listing your wants, such as traveling. Here, we mean taking a look at everything big and small, from where you’d like to live to how you’ll spend your evenings, to how much time and how many resources you’ll need to set aside for family, provided you’ll have to travel to see them.

If your ideal retirement means eating out every weekend, then you have to plan around that. If you want to spend the majority of your time on your hobby, you’ll likely need money to fund it, too.

Take the one thing that is most important to you out of this whole retirement picture and go as far as to put it in your wallet. Every time you open it and plan on making a purchase, this reminder will help you think twice about whether or not you should be spending the money now, or save it for later.