Five Non-Financial Strategies for a Truly Successful Retirement

From state-by-state tax implications to Health Savings Accounts, Wealthstream Advisors spend a lot of time thinking through the details of optimal retirement strategies. The right financial plan is key to achieving your life goals for retirement and beyond.

At the same time, our team has come to recognize that non-financial retirement strategies have an important role to play.

In this Insight, I explore five concrete strategies to pinpoint the most successful, satisfying retirement possible.

Retirement is Changing

Within the past 12 months, Wealthstream Advisors has hosted a number of client events and webinars. Two particular presentations highlighted some important aspects of retirement today. 

People Are Living Longer

This basic fact may not come as a surprise, but some of the statistics are staggering.  Dr. Joel Rothman presented on “The Promise and Impact of Longevity Science: Planning for a Longer-Term Horizon”.

He explained that medical advances are reaching a point where it is highly likely that there is someone who is alive today who will live to 150. This longer life expectancy calls for retirement nest eggs that can last over a longer timeframe.

In this regard, Wealthstream Advisors can help build out a financial plan with you and run through the math. Our clients have dynamic plans that factor in taxes and what-if scenarios to help them achieve their goals.

More broadly, this change highlights the importance of the non-financial strategies discussed below: the question is not just how to make savings last, but how to build a satisfying retired life over a potentially decades-long timeframe.

Constructing a Happy Retirement Experience Takes Work

Phyllis Diamond, LCSW, is a Retirement Coach who presented to a select group of our clients in April 2025. She reminded us that there may be mixed emotions when it comes to retirement. Some may be relieved to not keep to a schedule and report to work, but for others, no longer having a routine can also be a source of stress. 

In light of both of these facts, it’s worth taking a deeper look at specific aspects of retirement that can have a bearing on not just financial outcomes, but our fundamental satisfaction with this major life change.

Five Strategies to Consider for a Truly Successful Retirement

The strategies below highlight practical ways (beyond your financial plan) to prepare for retirement. Each is designed to not just ease your transition, but pinpoint how you will build a fulfilling experience in this next stage of life.

1. Start finding the activities that will shape a happy retirement. The best way to do so is simply to start living as though you are retired even before retirement.  Find activities to engage in outside of the workplace now. Start exploring additional ways to feel enriched and stay involved.  Those who have an outlet beyond the workplace stand a better chance of maintaining a happy retirement.
2. Make retirement a gradual process to pinpoint your needs. Going from a 40+ hour workweek to zero hours in a snap can be a shock to the system. Perhaps you have an opportunity to reduce your workload in stages. Or perhaps you would rather not continue doing the same work, and this can be a great time to take on part-time work in a new field.
   
   Gradually shifting into retirement can be a great way to find out what specific functions of work you are going to miss the most when you do fully retire.  Is it that work provides you with a sense of usefulness?  Is it the status?  Is it the socialization?  Having a better understanding of how you feel about retirement can help you plan for ways to tackle specific concerns.
3. Picture what an ideal day in retirement might look like. I encourage you to write down those things that bring vitality to your life. This exercise should help visualize your retirement in a positive way.
   
   Oftentimes, sharing your list with someone else can further bring your ideas to life.  Communicating these thoughts is particularly important for couples.  There may be a difference of opinion in how or even where each of you wants to retire.  Putting potential issues of conflict on the table before they become larger issues can be helpful.
4. Continue learning. Phyllis provided a helpful summary that successful retirees “live a leisurely life, not a life of leisure.”  For most people, retirement is not a matter of taking a permanent vacation. As attractive as it sounds to have zero responsibilities, it can be boring too. Explore where your interests take you.  Research shows that people who are willing to try new things stand a better chance of maintaining better brain health.
5. Maintain balance: eat well, exercise, meditate (if that’s your thing). These are all powerful ways to maintain wellness. Quoting Phyllis once more, “Wellness means adding life to your years, not simply years to your life.”

As you get closer to retirement, taking a structured sabbatical may be an effective way to think more deeply about how you want retirement to interact with your broader life goals.

Learn More About Navigating to Your Ideal Retirement

At Wealthstream Advisors, we recognize that a fulfilling retirement depends on more than financial preparation. While a sound plan is essential, long-term satisfaction also comes from how you choose to spend your time, maintain balance, and adapt to new opportunities.

Our team works with clients to design strategies that support both financial security and personal well-being in retirement, and that means helping you define success for yourself.

To explore how these considerations can fit into your overall plan, we invite you to connect with a Wealthstream Advisor for a complimentary consultation.