How does that old saying go, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”? I believe it applies to the challenges of living successfully in retirement. What does “successfully” mean? I live by Earl Nightingale’s definition of success which is, “the day to day realization of a worthy goal”.

I think it’s safe to say that retiring on our own terms is a worthy goal. So, what can we learn from history? I recently read a post from the blog Retired and Relaxed. There was an interesting discussion on what we can learn form others’ retirement “mistakes”. Here is a sample of the things “I would have done knowing what I know now”:

• Stay healthy as I grow old
• Have started saving and investing sooner
• Make sure I don’t outlive my savings
• Know the right time to retire
• Not worry about medical insurance

These are just a few of the revelations in the blog post. The thing that struck me was that many of these things can be accomplished through education. Of course, a lot of “staying healthy” is out of our control yet there is much we can control by learning more about nutrition and exercise, for example. I agree that learning about savings and investing earlier in life can save a lot of financial heartache later in life.

However, it is never too late to learn. Understanding Medicare and Social Security are two learning opportunities that are timeless. By working with a financial advisor, you can develop a strategy to live within your means and not outlive your money. Again, it’s all about learning.

Checkout my blog post titled, It’s Time to Leave “Someday Isle” and Start Planning Your Retirement Journey for more on the “woulda, shoulda, coulda” mentality. Another of my favorite sayings is, “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is right now. We can’t undo past mistakes. We can embrace an attitude of learning and start today where we are and make the best of the time before us. Don’t go it alone. There are people like me ready and willing to help you avoid repeating the past and retire on your own terms.