To Do lists are helpful tools for any multi-step task that needs to be accomplished, and planning for your retirement is no exception. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start when getting ready for this important next step of your life, and checklists help get all the details organized and set in a manageable, bit-size format.
Discuss Retiring with Spouse and Any Other Necessary Family Members
This step could potentially take years, months, or even just a few weeks. A spouse is an essential part of any major life decision, especially retirement, since it will have a daily impact on him or her personally, emotionally, socially, physically, and financially. Any other family members that could be affected, especially grown sons and daughters, should probably be kept in the loop, too. Perhaps you’d like to spend more time with grandchildren during your retirement, maybe easing the financial burden of daycare on the parents by taking care of their children a couple days a week. Many retired doctors want to use up their extra free time post-retirement by actively being a part of their grandchildren’s daily lives. It’s enriching for the children to spend time with grandparents, and it’s so much fun to teach them important skills and lessons during retirement. Also if any grown children have been depending on receiving financial assistance from you (while in college or graduate school, for instance) while you were still practicing medicine, it’s important to let them know that they probably won’t be able to count on this income in the future, since you’ll likely have a reduced budget so you can stretch your retirement dollars for many years. With the average American lifespan beginning to reach into the 80s and sometimes even the 90s, it’s key that you make sure you financially plan for a long retirement and discuss all your options with family members.
Speak with Business Partners and Other Staff about Transition
Once you and your family have reached an agreement and decided that you’re ready to start actively planning for your retirement, bring any business partners and office step into the loop. Perhaps your partners will be interested in transferring your patients’ care to them, or perhaps their workload is already stuffed to the max, and you’ll have to recommend your patients transfer to another physician elsewhere. There may be financial concerns that arise as well that will need to be considered and mutually agreed upon in advance.
Set Goals for Retirement
This one goes hand-in-hand with the first checklist item about discussion. Set personal goals for retirement, which may involve spending more time with grandchildren and other family members (above), traveling, writing a book, pursuing higher education, bungee jumping, going on a meditation retreat—whatever your heart desires. If you don’t have it written down, you might loose track of these goals’ importance and get five years into your retirement without having accomplished anything of real value. Lots of retirees speak of a sense of aimlessness after leaving their occupations behind, but it doesn’t have to be that way. What have you always wanted to do, but never had the time for? Most physicians put their patients’ needs before their own for years, even decades, but when you retire, it’s time to make yourself a top priority again.
Deal with Patient Records
When you’re considering retirement, there are many psychological, financial, and practical matters to consider. One of those practical matters that you’re probably dreading having to deal with is dealing with patient records. Copying or scanning them, sending them to the proper channels such as patients’ new doctors and medical facilities, and disposing of them securely are time-consuming, stress-inducing tasks for any doctor preparing for retirement. But it doesn’t have to be—just sign up at My Retired Doctor and we’ll take care of every detail of this monumental tasks so you can focus in on other matters during your retirement transition. Just give us a call at 877-328-2343 or email info@datafied.com to get started today. Whew—what a load off!