The Simple Formula to Become Retirement Ready

0:00You may be thinking, I just need to save a certain amount of money to be able to retire. If this is your philosophy, there is so much more that you need to know and dive into to make retirement possible for a successful retirement. Today's episode, I'll be diving into my retirement confidence formula and the three main things to support you into reaching and creating a successful retirement. Welcome to the Wealthy After 40 podcast, the show for Gen X women and couples who are ready to ditch financial stress and feel confident about retirement. I'm your host, Daylene Higgins, financial and retirement coach, helping Gen Xers master their money and create a personalized retirement plan so they can stop spinning their wheels and step boldly into their dream retirement.

0:51If you're feeling behind, don't worry. Continue listening to this podcast, as well as be sure to grab your free guide, 5 Must Do Steps to Start Retirement Planning Now at elevatefinances.us backslash must do. And remember, let's make retirement possible together. There's a lot of information out there about retiring, and I think it really just oversimplifies the process, you know, just to save this much and you'll be set. And while that might sound straightforward, it's going to leave you and you're probably filling that and like nodding your head with more questions than answers and action. Seeing that big number is going to shut you down.

1:44If somebody says you need to save a million dollars or two million dollars. Yep, you're going to shut down. Or you might be like, I'm not sure how to take certain steps to get there. I want to, but what do I do? That's why I help clients resolve this question of how can I retire by walking them through my retirement confidence formula. So this simple framework will help you finally see what's possible and how to get there step by step. So what is the retirement confidence formula? Well, there's three parts, clarity, planning, and action. So let's start with clarity. Clarity really is about where you are, where you want to go, and the steps it will take to get there.

2:43The second part, planning, is creating the systems and strategies that support those steps so that your goals, planning as goals, are realistic and achievable. But then we need to know how to put into action, that third part, action is identifying what comes first, what to prioritize, and really how to get your momentum building without overwhelm. Because if you take too many action steps, all together, you might get bumbled and not overwhelmed and think this is just too much and then give up. So it's very important to walk through these three steps slowly, but assuredly. And the first view is going to be from a very, very big overview.

3:39Clarity, like I said, of understanding where you are. This is going to help you know what is going on with your money. What does it look like? How much money do you have? And then where you want to go? Like, what does your retirement look like? What do you want it to be? Just being able to retire? Yeah, I could probably answer that. But what do you want to do? What do you want to, you know, create? What are you wanting to do? Those pieces help you get more clarity. And then, you know, once you gain this clarity, you start seeing the pieces that need to be planned. So we have, okay, I want to do these things.

4:21Now we need to plan for these things to happen, creating systems and the strategies so that I know the steps to take and being able to get there. So each part of this formula connects to the next. And it's really just like a cycle through. So like I said, first go, it's going to be overview, and then you're going to dial in further and further. By the end of this episode, that will make more sense to you. But each part connects to the next. Clarity feeds your plan. Your plan fuels your action. Because if you don't have a plan, you don't understand what action needs to happen. And then putting into, you know, those pieces into action gives you more clarity.

5:12is it working? Is it not working? Oh my gosh, I've got to get more clarity around this piece. It's really just a very, very, you know, funnel that is just circling down and down. So why is this formula so supportive to your retirement journey? Well, as I said, it's not a one and done, it's ongoing. And as you visit each piece, you're going to want to go to the next piece and then to the next piece and then circle back around. So you might be thinking, well, can I pay off debt and continue to save for retirement, but you know, increase, I'm still saving, but I want to do both. When you run it through the retirement confidence formula, you're going to get your answer, right?

6:06We've got to start with clarity, the numbers. What does that look like? Okay. What is, is it possible? Do we have the extra? Gaining that clarity is important. Asking all those pieces. That's really what you're doing in the clarity stage. And then you're like, okay, it appears to be that way, but I want to create, or you need to create, a plan to support it without, here's the key piece, sabotaging what I'm already doing. You're already making all your payments on your debt. You're already saving for retirement. We don't want to sabotage that by having something fail somewhere else. So we've got to create this plan to see that yes, you're going to be able to increase and pay off more quickly.

6:55Once we build that plan, we get the action steps. Those become clear. But how many and what action steps are going to fit into your capacity right now and that align with your priorities? And as you step into that, we look at it and we're like, okay, here's the action step you need to take. Go and do it. It's not working. Okay. Clarity. Why isn't it working? We need to revise the plan. And then the revision of the plan gives us a better action step. What's made to be for one person isn't going to work for another. So if you're unsure how this formula would work in your situation, I invite you to a Clarity Connection call.

7:45Let's spend 30 to 40 minutes giving you the clarity you need to start your journey. So head over to elevatefinances.us backslash connection, or there is a link down in the show notes and book your free call today. This is a clarity call. It is the first piece of that formula. And let's define that. That's going to help you then start creating those plans. But you're thinking, how can I start applying it to myself today? Step one, again, we're going back. Get clarity. I want you to write down what your financial situation looks like. What is your income? What is your expenses? How much are you saving?

8:31We might be doing these things, but we've never actually got the clarity that we need by actually writing them down, actually looking at them and seeing how they fit together. Then the next piece, you want to write down what retirement will look like for you. What do you want to be doing and when? And the more specific you get, the clearer the path becomes. Now, remember, we have to know our starting line and we need to know our finish line. And that is the clarity pieces. And then it kind of builds that gap in between that is able, we're able to get more clarity and then create the plans to support that.

9:19So step two, I want you to create a simple plan. I want you to look at one goal that matters most right now. Maybe this has been on your mind or as you wrote down your numbers or wrote out what you wanted to be doing in retirement, it's just coming to you. And maybe it's building your emergency fund, paying down debt, or increasing your retirement contributions. I want you to choose one and then outline what are some small, consistent steps that you can take to move closer to this goal. Well, I know I would need to be doing this, but I need to be doing that. And just keep writing that down. That's your plan.

10:02But you've got to shuffle your plan pieces into place. So create your simple plan, look at those steps, and step number three is to take focused action. In looking at those things that you've listed, what is going to move the needle the quickest? By number one, something that's so easy for you to do, you can just start doing it today. Or number two, it's the thing you know you've got to do. Even if it has been difficult in the past, but you're like, yep, I've got to do that, then you've got to get clarity with why that has been difficult, create a plan for that, and then that action piece becomes a little bit more narrow.

10:43So again, apply that to one of those action steps. If you're like, I can't do this, run it through the formula again. Why can't you? So remembering those pieces and working through and continuing to work through every hurdle that you have will get you moving closer and closer to where you ultimately desire to be. So remember, every time you visit this formula or revisit it, you're going back to it. You're building more confidence. And that confidence comes from the clarity because you're proving to yourself that you can do this. And that retirement isn't some faraway dream. It's a goal you're already moving toward.

11:28So to recap, your retirement confidence formula is built on three simple but powerful pillars, clarity, planning, and action. So get clarity on where you are and where you want to go. Step two, create a plan that's getting you to your ultimate goal, but make sure those steps are not going to overwhelm you. And then take focused action, one step at a time. This will build your momentum and get you moving forward. Really, these action steps are habits or skills. And once you've mastered them, you're going to want to go grab another one. And so you're going to want to go back to that formula, back to what is it going to be, going back to maybe your plan from the last time if you haven't exhausted all of those pieces yet.

12:23And keep going through and moving yourself forward inch by inch and pretty soon you will have gone a mile. So if you're ready to apply this to your own journey, your first step is to book a Clarity Connection call. This will help you turn your confusion into clarity and we can start creating a plan that actually works for you. It's a 45-minute call. It's all about clarity. It's the free call. It's the first piece in my formula. Let's work through it. Let's get you start building the journey that you need to build. Thank you for joining me in this episode, and we'll see you the next one.

13:08Thank you for spending this time with me. If you're not already following the show, be sure to hit subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next. And I'd love to stay connected with you between episodes. So come join me inside my Facebook community, Retirement Ready Hub for Gen Xers. It's where we're having real conversations about money, sharing wins, working through challenges, and building a clear path toward retirement. And remember, retirement isn't just a dream. It's a plan and you get to make it possible. Thank you.