Have you thought about the longest holiday of your life?

The days are getting longer – in terms of daylight and sadly workload too in many cases. So you would be excused for daydreaming about your next holiday and “getting away from it all”.

After a stressful week, what better way to spend a few hours than a clutching glass of wine, bottle of beer or tub of ice-cream, while you research the best deals for vacations in the sun.

If you added up all the hours us Brits spent on researching, planning and anticipating our annual holidays abroad – or even breaks in Britain for that matter – it probably extends to days. The business of relaxing is not something we take lightly!

But how much time do you or your colleagues at work put into making preparations for the “longest holiday” of them all – retirement?

Of course, we all say things like: “When I retire I’m going to play golf every day.” “I have a long list of books to read when I retire.” “I’ve always wanted to live in Spain when I retire.”

However, that’s not the same as putting a focused effort into planning. The sort of concentration that goes into comparing holiday flight times and costs, reading hotel reviews or sourcing the best local excursions on our annual break.

Many people think that when retirement comes, they will just flow naturally into a life of relaxation, free of the worries of the working day.

It would be like stepping off a plane and thinking you can find a hotel, eat and explore for two weeks with whatever change you happen to have in your pocket.

Here’s a better plan for that wonderful long holiday that’s waiting for you in a few years. Spend one evening or daytime session every year doing research and making solid plans, and above all, making sure you have the financial groundwork in place.

And while you are at it, as part of your company’s adherence to the new Pension regulations and auto-enrolment, you could also go one step beyond compliance. Organise an annual retirement planning session for your team – it’s a great way of showing that your company values its staff.

The team at Better with Money knows that money isn’t just about accumulating wealth. It’s also about quality of life and security when you come to spend it. Get in touch with us to find out more about our retirement planning courses.

Happy holidays everyone.