As with any journey, the road to retirement is a matter of perspective.

Just like pursuing a physical destination, the closer we get to it, the clearer it becomes. Our feelings may also change in relation to its proximity.

The same is true with retirement. While it’s easy to think of it as simply stocking up for tomorrow but on a grander scale, tomorrow can look a lot different by the time it becomes today.

This MIT Expert Offers a Unique Retirement Planning Perspective

When we look at retirement planning, we often talk about budgeting in relation to lifestyle versus expenses. But there’s a different side to this topic — because retirement will represent a different side of you.

As Joseph Coughlin of MIT’s AgeLab explains by way of CNBC, Americans are living longer. Retirement, when it was a shorter percentage of a person’s total life, was painted as a period of leisure. It was quite literally seen as a reward at the end of a long, sometimes difficult journey.

While retirement is still meant to be enjoyed, it’s now a game of longevity. This changes the planning process, and it also makes you rethink your long-term needs.

Will you be able to get around as easily? Will you have a social circle that keeps you engaged? How easily could you perform basic tasks that require physical exertion? As we account for life’s new challenges as the years roll by, it’s clear a more balanced approach to retirement planning wins out.

The One Secret for Supporting Retirees of All Ages

No matter your age, your health, or the challenges presented by either, there’s one way to maximize your joy and your longevity in retirement. It’s to help us guarantee yearly Social Security Cost-of-Living-Adjustments (COLAs), along with reimbursement for years skipped.

This is our mission here at NORA. If you support it, sign our petition, then follow us on Facebook and Twitter.