Money may not buy long-term happiness, but it can provide you with opportunities you may not have without it. If you have planned properly, you will have many options open to you during retirement —you can work and continue to earn an income, or you…

Money may not buy long-term happiness, but it can provide you with opportunities you may not have without it. If you have planned properly, you will have many options open to you during retirement —you can work and continue to earn an income, or you can volunteer your time free of charge. But if you have planned poorly, you may not have any choice but to go back to work.

Assuming your retirement planning has gone smoothly and you are ready to make the transition to an enjoyable retirement lifestyle, there are a few things to think about that may help you move from the workforce into retirement. Transition is never easy, but you can make it a little more manageable and much more enjoyable if you take some time to map out the life you want to live in retirement.

1. Assess your current lifestyle

You can usually identify your true priorities by assessing where you are spending your money and your time, so start by writing down three places where you spend the most of each.

After you have completed this exercise, honestly examine those items to determine what you want out of...