By Erica and Karen

1. Relax. You have earned a rest and you really don’t need to do anything immediately. Go to a matinee. Take a trip around the world. Get your hair done—on a weekday. Go to a pool and watch the sun set.

2. Mourn the end of your job. Yes, you have made it successfully to the end of your career, and that is a wonderful thing—you will realize how wonderful in a little while. But you will surely miss your job—friends, a structure, a paycheck. You will inevitably feel the loss.

3. Do not agree to any commitment until you have had time to consider what commitments you really want to make.

4. Talk about your aspirations to everyone who will listen. People will be delighted to help you if you are developing a plan. Even if that plan is hard to see clearly right away.

5. Have some business cards made. You will need to leave them with people, and it will force you to think through your new image.

6. Find a friend, if you can, who is also in the early stages of retirement. Having someone to talk to as you move through the journey is splendid. If not, find someone who has been retired a while and who is on to the next phase, and talk to her about the voyage.

7. Get back on the schedule the rest of the world is on—once you have rested (you will be much more tired than you expect). Even if you have no external commitments right away, you need to keep on society’s rhythm.

8. Dress for success every time you leave your home—and maybe even if you stay home for the day. Make sure your appearance telegraphs that you are far from done. And by the way—no need to dress as you did while you worked. One of the fun things about retirement is figuring out a new look.

9. Relax. Yes, we start and end with that. You know how to do what you want to do—you have done that over and over. Just give it some time, and everything will start to come into focus. And then the real fun will begin.