I was doing a power zone training workout on my stationary bike the other day. The workout consisted of a medium effort stretched out over a longer period of time. I wasn’t gasping for air during the working, and I felt like I still had energy in the tank when I finished. Some might think this was an easy workout day or a day I missed getting better because I didn’t push myself to the maximum.

Quite the contrary. The purpose of this training is to strengthen my aerobic phase of my body so that I can sustain longer and longer periods of intense training. While “easier” in the sense that I wasn’t gassed at the end. It’s an essential part of training.

The only way to improve your fitness is if your training is right. Big changes don’t happen in one day. I can’t wake up and go conquer all my fitness goals. No, it takes time. It takes structure. It takes consistency.

For me fitness is a lifestyle, but it’s more than going through exercises willy nilly. I have to think about how I’m structuring my life to achieve what I want. It all starts with a goal and then I’ve worked backwards from there. That’s why I found myself that day pedaling for 45 minutes at a moderately difficult pace rather than an all out sprint.

Too many people approach their retirement in the same way most people approach fitness – kind of willy nilly. They haven’t confirmed their cash flow needs, they don’t have a strategy for taking Social Security or paying less in taxes, and they don’t have a formula for when (not if) the market crashes). As a result, they end up getting lackluster results.

Making sure your money lasts throughout your life or that your family is covered in case the worst happens isn’t a one time decision or event.

It takes time.

• Are you committed to the process of enduring tough markets?

It takes structure

• Do you have a low-cost, global portfolio that can deliver monthly cash to your bank account consistently over time or are you relying on XYZ stock to pop?
• Do you have a formula for what you’re going to do when the market rises or falls (because both can have negative consequences)?

It takes consistency.

• Do you have a schedule to review all your investments, estate documents, insurance policies, and taxes?

Achieving retirement goals are no different from fitness goals or any other type of thing we’re trying to achieve in life. Don’t make the same mistake of not being purposeful in your actions, especially with something as important as retirement.