Feb. 12: My Retirement My Way
February 12, 2026
Making the transition to retirement easier – My Retirement, My Way
We certainly wish we had had a copy of My Retirement, My Way, by Veronica McCain, when we retired from full-time work back in 2014.
It’s difficult to explain clearly what retirement is like, or is going to be like, to those still working, but McCain does it in a friendly, informative way equipped with plenty of worksheets, lists, and anecdotes.
“Retirement is one of the biggest transitions in life,” she begins. “I recall counting down the days to my own retirement and how excited I was to cross out each day on my calendar.”
“When I closed my office door for the final time, a flood of emotions came over me. This was the end of this chapter in my life. My work, which was a significant part of my daily life for 32 years, was no more.”
And while work, perhaps getting married and having kids, provided a “life road map” to follow, “when you retire, the way ahead may not be as clear…. Retirement is when you make life happen. The road is wide open, and you can take any direction.”
An early chapter suggests that the newly retired look for activities they enjoyed when they took time off work. “Journal and reflect on your expectations of yourself as a retired person,” the book advises. Follow your interests through books, articles, and podcasts, and consider becoming “a volunteer for different organizations to discover how you most enjoy helping out.”
Worksheets and quizzes help you figure out your “retirement outlook” and readiness, another helps you look back at what benefits your career provided.
McCain notes that the notion of success, “often defined by one’s position, salary, expertise, and knowledge” in the time before retirement, will change. “Now that you are retired, your job will no longer determine how successful you are.” Instead, you should think of success “as a journey that evolves over time.” A series of thoughtful exercises and worksheets then follow to help you envision success in life after work.
A later chapter reminds the reader that once one is retired, many will think you now have the free time to help them out. Learn, she advises, to say “no… (if) these requests are getting in the way of what you want to accomplish.”
A helpful pros/cons chart lets you refine whether incoming requests get a yes or a polite no.
When looking at finances in retirement, McCain observes that “until now, your primary focus has likely been growing your retirement nest egg.” Now, she continues, you shift from “accumulation to distribution.”
“Your retirement savings need to outlast you,” she explains. She provides a few tips to stretch your retirement dollars – looking for deals on travelling, and travelling in the off-season: going to one vehicle, tweaking life insurance, and focusing on your health to avoid medical expenses.
There’s a look at whether your present home will work for you once you age – and checklists to help see if a move would be a good or bad thing. Another chapter looks at the importance of keeping old friends while meeting new ones.
There are support information and worksheets on what to do if you have “boomerang” children who move home just as your retirement is getting going.
We read an awful lot of books about retirement – this one is one of the better ones. Many different scenarios are discussed in a thoughtful way, and for sure this book would take the fear many feel about retirement out of the equation.
“There is no one-size-fits all approach to a happy retirement. It is what you make it. You have worked hard to develop a plan to help guide you; now execute it and have some fun. Don’t hold back! Now is the time to go full throttle ahead.”
These days, many of us are having to save on their own for retirement.
If you are in this situation, a great saving partner can be found via the Saskatchewan Pension Plan. You provide the money – you decide how much – and SPP does the rest, investing your savings in a low-cost, professionally managed, pooled fund.
At retirement, your options include a lifetime monthly annuity payment or the more flexible Variable Benefit.
Check out SPP today!
Join the Wealthcare Revolution – follow SPP on Facebook!
Written by Martin Biefer
Martin Biefer is Senior Pension Writer at Avery & Kerr Communications in Nepean, Ontario. A veteran reporter, editor and pension communicator, he’s now a freelancer. Interests include golf, line dancing and classic rock, and playing guitar. Got a story idea? Let Martin know via LinkedIn.
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