Money without direction is noise. The second phase of your Retirement Freedom Roadmap is all about defining what financial freedom looks like for you. The clearer your vision, the easier it is to make choices that move you toward a retirement that’s both secure and meaningful.

1. Visualize Your Retirement Lifestyle

Take a moment to imagine a typical day in your ideal retirement. Where are you living? How do you spend your mornings? Do you travel, volunteer, start a side business, or spend time with family?

Try this quick exercise: Write a short paragraph describing a perfect weekday in retirement — the place, the people, the activities. This simple visualization helps turn abstract hopes into concrete goals.

2. Translate Vision into Financial Targets

Now turn that vision into numbers. Estimate yearly retirement spending based on your lifestyle idea. If you plan to travel frequently, include travel costs. If you’ll downsize housing, factor that in too. A common rule-of-thumb is 70–80% of pre-retirement income, but your personal vision will give a more accurate target.

Example: “I want $60,000/year in retirement income to cover lifestyle, healthcare, and travel.”

3. Create SMART Goals

SMART goals are the difference between wishing and doing. Make each goal:

• Specific — exactly what you’ll do
• Measurable — a number or clear milestone
• Achievable — realistic for your situation
• Relevant — tied to your retirement vision
• Time-bound — with a deadline

Examples:

• “Increase retirement contributions by 2% this year.”
• “Save $25,000 toward down payment within 3 years.”
• “Build a $12,000 emergency fund in 18 months.”

4. Break Goals into Milestones

Large goals feel smaller when stepped out. For a 10-year goal, create yearly targets. For a 1-year goal, create monthly targets. Each milestone is an opportunity to celebrate progress (and adjust if life changes).

5. Align Goals with Income & Time

Match your goals to what’s possible given your time horizon and income. If retirement is 5 years away, prioritize short-term savings and low-risk strategies. If you’re 25 years out, you can lean into growth-oriented investments.

6. Make Goals Automatic & Accountable

Set up automatic contributions, calendar reminders, and a simple tracking system. Tell a trusted friend or your partner about your goals — accountability increases the chance you’ll follow through.

7. Example Goal-Setting Template (Fill This In)

Goal: ___________________________
Why it matters: ___________________________
Target amount / metric: ___________________________
Deadline: ___________________________
Monthly / yearly milestone: ___________________________
Automatic steps to take now: ___________________________

Takeaway

Goals turn dreams into roadmaps. When you visualize a life you love, translate that into clear targets, and break those targets into milestones, you create a practical path to retirement freedom. The work you do here makes the financial decisions in later phases easier and more confident.