Many books about retirement focus on finances, others on health, wellness, and attitude. But Eric Thurman’s Thrive in Retirement provides a holistic owner’s manual to help get your mind, your soul and your attitude on the right path.

“Retirement,” he writes, “is no longer a short pause between work and the grave. It is now a long, major stage of life, because never before in human history have so many people lived decades beyond their working years.”

He looks at the five vital parts of life, which are “mind, body, relationships, soul, and finances.” The book uses these five things as a sort of lens through which to view your retirement activities and progress.

He also notes that the “three secrets of happiness” are “purpose, pleasure, and peace.” These ideas should also guide you, Thurman recommends.

Having a purpose in life, he notes, citing research from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging, “is associated with increased survival.” The study found that 29.3 per cent of people “in the lowest wellbeing quartile” died within 8.5 years (of retirement);” that compares to just 9.3 per cent in the highest wellbeing quartile. Thurman calls this “compellingly good news,” noting that “you can be happier and live longer if you wake up each morning enthused about the importance of how you will spend your day.”

He expands on this idea. “Recall the five parts of your life: mind, body, relationship, soul and finances. Don’t settle for any of them being deficient or, worse yet, sources of pain. Pursue emotional freedom.”

Your mind will thrive if you “free it from emotional pain” by letting go of minor things that bother you; you then need to keep it active through learning, through hobbies and activities, and even through part-time work, the book notes.

For one’s body, consider where you are on this scale – at the topic is “physically elite,” followed by “physically fit, physically independent, physically frail and physically dependent.” You need to try and be as high up on that scale as you can. He quotes the Quebec marathon runner Jacqueline Gareau as saying strategy must be employed in fitness – “it is not age, it is not diet. It is the will to succeed.”

In the chapter “Make Peace with Money,” Thurman advises us to “clarify our dreams” about money and importantly, to “control your money or it will control you.” He writes that we should “always view money as something you should put to good use and treat with respect. Never love the money and possessions you have. Never love money you don’t have. Never let money own you.”

Debt, he notes, should be treated “like a disease.” Avoid catching it, but if you do, “work to get over it as quickly as possible.” Overspending, he writes, “is always harmful” and credit card debt “ruinous.”

This well-written and motivational book ends with this bit of advice. “Think about how you want the story of your life to close. It won’t be a great ending if you drift passively, letting the river push you wherever it wishes. Instead, choose to steer towards happiness; do some paddling and raise your sail.”

It’s true that debt is the slayer of retirement dreams. One reason may be that paying off debt prevents people from saving for retirement, which in turn leads to less retirement income or a later retirement date. You can fight back by saving on your own for life after work; the earlier you start, the better it will be. And a great tool to use in that effort is the Saskatchewan Pension Plan.

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. He and his wife live with their Shelties, Duncan and Phoebe, and cat, Toobins. You can follow him on Twitter – his handle is @AveryKerr22