How a Retirement Dry Run Can Help You Make a Better Plan

March 03, 2025•2 min read

Have you heard the term "shakedown cruise"? It sounds like a boat trip planned by extortionists. But the term actually refers to an age-old practice used to prepare oceangoing ships.1

When a vessel is brand new or has had extensive refitting, it can be difficult to predict how it will behave under the conditions it will meet at sea. Will it have a tendency to founder or roll in big waves? Will the new equipment withstand the elements and keep working?

To answer these questions, the ship is taken on a short, test voyage where the forces of wind and waves literally shake down the vessel to reveal how it will perform under actual conditions.

Knowing this before you sail thousands of miles into the deep sea can mean the difference between a successful voyage and a ship in need of rescue.

Retirement has often been likened to a voyage into uncharted waters. It's a phase of life you've never experienced before. And like the testing of a new ship, a shakedown cruise of how you plan to spend your post-work life can give valuable insight before you make major decisions.

Christine Benz, who writes about retirement for Morningstar, says that doing some experimenting before you retire can help you answer fundamental questions like "Do I want to stay or relocate?" and "How do I want to spend my time?"2

To answer these questions for herself, Benz took a six week sabbatical from work and tried to live like she was retired. Here are a few things she learned on her trial run:

Unscheduled time is wonderful. Having hours to spend at a museum or antique mall feels like a luxury.
Structure is important. If retirement is just an extended vacation, you lose that sense of anticipation that makes leisure enjoyable.
Schedule leisure activities. It's easy to fall back into the habit of letting even purposeful activity always take priority over fun.
As you pursue meaningful "work," use the skills you've gained from your working life. For example, if you're an educator, using that skill to help others may be a better use of your abilities than stacking cans at a food bank.

While Benz didn't mention it in relation to her sabbatical, others suggest structuring a hypothetical retirement budget to find out what it's like to live on it for a couple of months.

With retirement being one of the biggest steps you'll take, testing out your life plan beforehand is a good idea. Your trusted advisor is happy to discuss the wisdom and feasibility of your various options.

Sources:
1. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/wiki-Shakedown-cruise/96811j/2621837292/h/eAh0SrAfL1fDHfvZsm4p5x0Rg7k4q87zDc3X8yQ7wZA
2. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/-lessons-another-faux-tirement/96811m/2621837292/h/eAh0SrAfL1fDHfvZsm4p5x0Rg7k4q87zDc3X8yQ7wZA

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