-—prepare for retirement——
I suggest you are overthinking retirement.
Relax. What is coming is coming except, you don’t know what is coming. All you can say or think with certainty is that you will not be spending your days working where you are now.
You can survey all your talents and various experiences over the years. Then start looking for a way to apply one or two of those talents to a money making opportunity, a retirement self employment job. Not everyday, say two or three days a week are enough to keep your mind and body in working condition.
Think opportunity. Think new. Think enjoyment
When I was about to retire (a few years back) everyone kept bugging me about “what I was going to do”.
I finally created a fake narrative to shut them up—it was believable and I got lots of detailed suggestions about how to implement the “plan”.
When I did retire I did what I wanted to do—which was none of their business—is still none of their business—but it was not work....and had nothing to do with the fake narrative.
;-)
“I suggest you are overthinking retirement.”
Couldn’t agree more. A lot of people agonize about “what am I going to do after I retire”.
You don’t know what’s going to grab your attention and interest once your time is yours.
Just do “nothing” for a while and something will come along and will grab your interest.
Most of all don’t think of it as “retirement” like you’re done with living. Think of it as a new start with you in control of your time and what to do with it.
Enjoy it - it’ll be the best time of your life.