"The old definition of success in retirement may have centered on wealth and leisure, but the new definition means thriving across all four pillars of the new retirement: health, family, purpose, and finances," says a new report from Edward Jones, Age Wave, and the Harris Poll. The report, based on surveys of more than 12,000 North American adults, is  one of several from these organizations that build on  the holistic “four pillars” framework, deemed essential to well-being in retirement.

Today’s retirees and pre-retirees see retirement as a whole new chapter in life, the report says, and resilience -the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties-- is key. So are preparation and adaptability. From a financial standpoint, adaptability may prove essential because many retirees and pre-retirees have not yet saved enough to fund their potentially lengthy retirements.

Course corrections are motivated, and often necessitated, by life events that change the circumstances and goals of retirees and pre-retirees. The report calls these challenging occurrences curveballs (relatively minor ones) and cannonballs (more major ones).

The positive events are called windfalls.

The report provides a "toolbox" of course-correction strategies for each of the four pillars, and notes that experienced retirees recommend that pre-retirees “test drive” retirement activities in advance, including staying physically and mentally active, trying out new hobbies or creative activities, finding ways – such as volunteering - to maintain a sense of purpose, and living on a retirement budget.

To download the full report, Resilient Choices: Trade-offs, Adjustments, and Course Corrections to Thrive in Retirement, click here