Valentine’s Day is a special day to touch some of the most meaningful people in a retiree’s life – those with whom they share their heart. The day is often remembered by wonderful romantic experiences and showing the care they have for one another.
I would like to challenge my readers to use the occasion as a springboard to consider a deeper and more meaningful connection that touches on what would make the lives they share with others spectacular – establishing shared life goals, hopes and dreams and working together to realize them. 
Goals are objectives retirees set for their lives that they expect to meet, while hopes are those wonderful stretches they are not sure they’ll experience, and dreams are truly amazing apexes of life they don’t quite think they will reach but would certainly be awesome if they could. Life flourishes when people can share their dreams with those they hold most dear. It can be even better when people work together to live their dreams together.
Life goals, hopes, and dreams are highly personal and stems from deeply held beliefs and values. Pursing and hopefully realizing them bring greater meaning to life and are highlights of one’s life, making life thoroughly enjoying and fulfilling. Two important types of life goals, hopes, and dreams are experiences and relationships, as well as impact.
Experiences and relationships are a single category, because the most incredible experiences are often shared with whom retirees have the most meaningful relationships. These “wow” experiences are wonderfully enjoyable moments, but also tie to what is most important to them. They can require additional financial resources to come to fruition, such as paying for a trip to the Holy Land or visiting one’s ancestral homeland that allows folks to experience who they are and connect to their deeper identity. Another category is impact, where retirees can make a difference in the world – in the lives of people they want to bless and any causes they believe in. Retirees can make an impact with their time and also with their finances by making gifts and charitable contributions while they are alive or after they pass. Financial planning should consider both tax consequences and benefits and ensure that financial resources are not overextended which would jeopardize one’s financial sustainability.
By including those they love deeply with the amazing life they want to live, life for retirees is richer in a non-financial way. And when they do empower their life through their financial resources, they are bringing their money to life—making it more personally valuable than its numeric worth. So, on this Valentine’s Day, retirees have the opportunity to extend their romantic feelings to deeper connections and share their heart in a way that would make their life as fulfilling as it can be. This year, they can share life goals, hopes and dreams with the most wonderful person in their life. Start by asking questions to understand what it would look like and how much time and financial resources they would required. Embark on the journey together sharing long-lasting and meaningful experiences and making an impact that reflects who you are and how you want to be remembered…together.
By Len Hayduchok, CFP®
