With regard to “Undecided Plans” – retirement doesn’t have to be “all or nothing” in terms of a paycheck. When my husband retired for similar reasons of time and health, he continued to work part time at a climbing gym, making his own schedule and doing something that he enjoyed. He brought in a small paycheck for eight years until the pandemic closed the gym. Now he is fully retired. “Undecided Plans” could look around for something that fits his interests and transition from fully employed to fully retired at his own pace. – Part-Time Retirement

Dear Retirement: A number of readers wrote in about how important a part-time job was in helping them transition. It provides a financial cushion and helps give days a structure, without overloading one’s schedule. Volunteering also came up as a great way of continuing to engage with people and ideas while learning what excites you in this new phase of life.