Deciding that you're ready to dive into the deep end and retire is never something that you should take lightly, as you need to prepare yourself physically, emotionally, financially, and professionally to ensure that you can enjoy a relaxing, stress-free retirement to be proud of. Adapting physically and emotionally is the least challenging aspect, as managing your retirement finances as well as your career and professional reputation can be extremely difficult if you don't know how or where to begin. It's vital that you can handle your retirement in the most respectful and responsible manner possible, without leaving a trail of destruction behind you as you leave your job, business and income. Thankfully, this guide contains everything that you need to know to master the art of retirement, and it couldn't be easier to get started today! So, read on to find out more. 

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Leaving Your Job or Selling Your Business

First and foremost, the main aspect of retirement is to live without the need to work - this means that you will need to leave your job, end your career, or alternatively sell your business if you own one. This is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you have played a key role in your working environment over a number of years and still want to maintain a relationship with your colleagues or employees! You must ensure that your job or your business will not suffer detrimentally when you leave for retirement, as it must remain a positive change that allows for growth on all accounts. If you are employed by a company then approach them to discuss your options when it comes to ending your contract, ensuring that you give your manager sufficient time to find and train a replacement that can work just as well as you. If you own your own company it's a little more tricky, as you can choose to sell outright or commence succession planning to allow other talented individuals or teams to take over the management sector. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you give yourself enough time to plan out each detail to ensure a seamless transition can occur. 

Maintain Your Network Connections

Just because you have decided to retire, this doesn't mean that your professional life is over - you should still aim to maintain your network connections for years to come, as having motivated, respected, and reputable individuals in your phone book can open a number of doors that you would never benefit from if you choose isolation. Aim to keep in touch with as many of your colleagues, staff, and fellow entrepreneurs as possible, staying up to date on any important business news to see whether you might be able to benefit in some way. Your retirement fund could see a serious booster if you stumble across a young business owner in need of a little support and advice from an experienced entrepreneur such as yourself, and you would only be able to find this connection if you do not exclude yourself from the world of work!