Today, we live in the land of opportunity. Our generation will live longer than any before it and have a greater chance of maintaining good health later into life than our parents or our grandparents could ever have dreamed.

The flip side to this opportunity is responsibility. We are ultimately responsible for the happiness, health, and prosperity we attain in retirement. If you are reading this article, you are probably thinking about retirement. What are your goals? How do you see yourself spending your retirement years?

For the past 20 years, I have worked as a consultant to chiropractors, which has afforded me the opportunity to deal with the retirement issue on a continuing basis. And since I had recently published a book on the subject, early this year, I was contacted by The Chiropractic Journal and invited to write a series of articles on chiropractic retirement, which I gladly agreed to do.

Some aspects of retirement are more fun than others. We like to think about leisure time, travel, and vacation homes, but aren't quite excited about insurance, taxes, and long-term nursing home care. However, to maintain a well-rounded perspective on retirement we need to cover all of its facets.

It sounds crazy, but some people actually need permission to retire. Although many of us have an honorable goal of retiring early, the actual act of early retirement sometimes causes consternation to friends, family and even ourselves.

This can lead to indecision, procrastination, depression, family stress, and living a life you're not interested in living (working after you feel like you have the right to retire). Once you feel you've "earned the right" to retire, your retirement planning becomes much more effective.

Your attitude toward retirement varies greatly depending on how your retirement happens. If you are forced out of practice or forced into retirement, you may have a negative attitude. On the other hand, if you feel you have given a lifetime of good chiropractic care, you may have a much more positive perspective.

More than likely your attitude in retirement will be similar to your attitude before retirement. If you're happy while working, you'll most likely be happy in retirement. You see, happiness is not a "where or when," it's a "here and now." If you can't be happy where you're at right now, it will be difficult to be happy in retirement.

How soon do you want to retire? One comedian joked that he wanted to live long enough to be a burden to his kids. But when you think about it, that's probably not a very exciting thought for either him or his children. Outliving one's money is perhaps the single greatest concern of the retiree.

There are two ways to decide on your retirement date.

The first is to calculate the amount of money you will need in retirement, calculate your current savings rate, and then determine how long it will be until you have reached the "magic number" and can retire. The other way is to decide on a logical retirement date and adjust your savings plan so you reach your desired goal on or before the day you want to retire.

Ask 50 financial consultants how much you need to retire and you will probably receive 50 different answers. That's true in part because we are attempting to predict the future. No one knows exactly what the inflation rate will be or what type of return you will get on your retirement savings. It's possible, however, to make some fairly safe assumptions and come up with a pretty accurate plan that allows for your cost of living, normal inflation, typical return on investment, and life expectancy.

Unfortunately, most of us have probably waited a little longer than we should have to start saving for a retirement. Today, according to the Public Agenda Foundation, 46% of Americans, including people age 51-61, have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. An AARP study shows the typical baby boomer has just $1,000 in assets! But if you have 10 years left, you're not totally against the wall. You still have some wiggle room.

There are as many ways to retire as there are people retiring, so I'll just cover the major retirement opportunities.

Many people want to work part-time during their retirement. They even look forward to it -- and not just for the money. Perhaps you shouldn't sell your practice. Maybe it's better to retain ownership for a few more years and let someone else perform the day-to-day functions. Remember, during his first retirement, Michael Jordan worked as a baseball player, and during his second retirement he was active in basketball management. Maybe you can have it all. There are ways to "retire" and still continue to practice.

Some say Social Security is here to stay, and others claim it is almost gone. Who's right?

Today, our benefits from Social Security look healthier than at any time in the recent past. This is due in part to the rules that went into effect January 1, 2000, that did away with the financial penalties for working in retirement and allow you to keep Social Security benefits regardless of the amount you earn.

While it's very important to understand the basics of retirement investing, you will still need the expert guidance of a good retirement attorney, accountant, financial planner, and other advisors. Nevertheless, you will need to know enough to make good investment decisions.

There are many books that list the most popular retirement spots in the United States and they're great for reference. But even the most beautiful setting, climate, education, and cultural opportunities may pale in comparison to the first time you hold your new grandbaby in your arms. Being close to that child is enough to make you move from Maui to Davenport, Iowa!

In other words, the "human" factor will play a large part in deciding where to retire. Once those human elements are factored in, the other criteria like climate, cultural events, natural beauty, and ease of travel, can be considered.

One of the consultants in our management firm lives in La Jolla, California. He loves the area and frequently spends time on the beach with his wife. But the biggest local attraction for this couple is their grandchildren who live just a few miles away. Recently, they thought their son's job transfer might cause the grandchildren to live in Omaha, Nebraska. As nice as the beach is, they were willing to move to Omaha just to be with the grandkids!

It's surprising what kids (and grandkids) will do to your thoughts of retirement. And what if your spouse has a different retirement plan than you do? It's difficult to live happily-ever-after in two different states!

What will your retirement home really look like? You may respond, "I'm already living in it." Many people have no plans to leave their current home. On the other hand, some people dream of moving to a new home when they retire -- possibly even a new state or country!

Whether you're thinking about moving to a different country, or just what to do when your kids come home, the home you have in retirement becomes important. If you're too frugal you may soon feel cramped. If you overspend to build your dream home, you must realize that every dollar spent on a home is a dollar not invested in your retirement account.

For many doctors, retirement is the first time they can practice exactly how they want -- or concentrate on a new passion. Without goals and a mission your retirement may seem dull and undirected. But if you are finally on track to fulfill your mission, retirement can be tremendously exciting!

"Surf's up, Gramps!" was the title of an article in a recent issue of Business Week magazine. It said, "As baby boomers turn 55, they will be more active and healthy than any preceding group of that age." More and more seniors are shunning golf clubs and walking shoes for hardier sports, from heli-skiing to surfing, and even triathlons. While you may not be the tri-athlete type, you still have an obligation and opportunity to lead a healthy life. Physical and mental health are two of your greatest retirement assets. Protect them.

In order to write my book, I realized I needed to get a more well-rounded view regarding the ways people look at retirement so I started by sending a survey to 1,000 professionals and executives (233 responded). I then held several focus groups. While the surveys and groups were informal and probably wouldn't stand up to the scrutiny of professional analysis, they gave enough additional information to make the book complete.

During the focus groups, many people who are within 10 years of retirement reported that they had NO hobbies. When questioned more closely, we found many actually did have hobbies they enjoyed but had not cultivated due to lack of time.

If you're planning to retire in the next few years, you should start developing your hobbies now. Don't worry about what other people think of your hobbies. They're yours! If you like to do them, who cares what people think?

Let's face it, some retirement topics are more exciting than others. Most people don't find insurance too interesting. And to make it worse, we expect that our cost of insurance will increase as we age. There is, however, some good news. Some insurance premiums may go away, including disability insurance payments and health insurance payments.

Here's a sad thought: If you're entering retirement, you probably now have more money than you will ever have again! For many, retirement marks that point where saving stops and spending starts.

Because most of us will not earn significant amounts of money in the future, we must be extra careful with the money we have now. This means more than just investing it wisely. We must also continue to protect our assets against lawsuits, judgments, and disreputable people eager to take a retiree's fortune.

Recently, I saw a cartoon of two old men sitting on a bench outside a country store engaged in leisurely conversation. The caption underneath read, "I didn't want to marry her for her money, but it was the only way I could think to get it."

You will pass your assets on. The questions are, to whom and how efficiently? Estate taxes can take a major bite out of your assets. Wills, Trusts, and other legal documents can be difficult for older people to understand and should be in place well before your retirement years. Planning ahead can save thousands of dollars.

"And they lived happily-ever-after" is easier said than done. Depression is a real factor to deal with in retirement. It comes both from the fear of the unknown and through natural body changes as we age. But it does not have to be an inevitable part of retirement. Retirement can be a mountaintop-to-mountaintop experience -- IF we create and work the proper retirement plan.