---
title: 5 Secrets to a Successful Retirement
description: Having a successful retirement doesn't just happen - it takes planning and thought. Check out the 5 secrets to a successful retirement.
image: https://www.spiritusfinancial.com/hs-fs/file-15878538-jpg/images/retirement_maze_book.jpg
---

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# MONEY matters

Mark Zaifman's thoughts on money, global economic trends and politics

# 5 Secrets to a Successful Retirement

** [Mark Zaifman](https://www.spiritusfinancial.com/blog/author/mark-zaifman)   |   ** Tue, Jul 31, 2012 @ 03:18 PM

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![The Retirement Maze](https://www.spiritusfinancial.com/hs-fs/file-15878538-jpg/images/retirement_maze_book.jpg?width=216&height=335&name=retirement_maze_book.jpg)

 

In a [**succinct book review of The Retirement Maze**](http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2012/06/15/save-yourself-from-a-depressing-retirement/), by Rob Pascale, Ph.D., Lou Primavera, Ph.D, and Rip Roach, Forbes magazine columnist Ashlea Ebeling, recaps the key points of the book on how to prepare for a successful, happy and well adjusted retirement.

While millions of Americans begin the transition from work to retirement, I'm more than happy to see yet another book about the planning and thought it takes to retire successfully. This book is unique in that it delves into the often overlooked [**emotional aspect of retirement planning**](http://spiritusfinancial.com/blog/bid/105480/When-Retirement-Planning-Don-t-Forget-the-Emotional-Aspect) as well as providing intensive academic research resulting in a well written, informative study on how to get to that sweet spot in retirement.

Pascale, a former market research founder, joined forces with psychologist Primavera and marketing director Roach, to dig into the journey to those beginning a new non-working life. Through interviews they discovered the determining factors of most successful and happy retirees were gender, health, wealth, attitudes, motivation, and personality.

No surprise to me, the authors repeatedly discuss the need to plan, both financially and emotionally, for a purposeful and successful next life stage.

Want a well adjusted retirement? Ebeling sums up [**The Retirement Maze**](https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442216181) nicely by providing 5 key takeaways:

- **Maintaining structure, purpose, and direction**

- **Managing expectations**

- **Stay connected - keep up (and add to) your social life  
  **

- **Have your finances in order**

 and something we can all start doing right now, whether retired or just beginning your career - a great life lesson in itself;

- **Keep searching and experimenting.**

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** [book recommendation](https://www.spiritusfinancial.com/blog/topic/book-recommendation), [retirement planning](https://www.spiritusfinancial.com/blog/topic/retirement-planning)

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