Try it before you commit to it
If your employer allows any form of phased or reduced hours, take it — a four-day week for a few months is the cheapest possible trial run. If not, use annual leave deliberately: take a full fortnight and live it as if you were retired, without a holiday to distract you. It sounds joyless. It is extremely informative. You will discover within four days whether your imagined future has enough in it.
How do I know if I'm actually ready to retire?
Readiness is rarely a feeling of certainty; it is more often the point where the pull of what's next is stronger than the pull of what you'd be leaving. A useful test is whether you can describe what you'll be doing in specific terms — names, days, places — rather than in general ones like "resting" or "finally having time". If your answer is still entirely abstract, that isn't a reason to stay forever, but it is a reason to build the answer before the date.
What if my partner retires before me — or years later?
Staggered retirement is very common and it creates a strange asymmetry: one person's week empties while the other's stays full, and the one still working can feel quietly resentful of the free afternoons. Name it early, agree what the retired partner takes on at home, and protect some shared time that isn't just evenings when one of you is tired. It also helps to agree what the working partner is allowed to expect to come home to — clarity here prevents a lot of low-level irritation later.
