The happiest retirees have these things in common.

Recent research from the giant investment firm, Colonial First State, suggests a quarter of retirees who do not have a financial adviser find retirement harder than expected compared to just 12 per cent of retirees who do have a financial adviser.

More, the same research found that 48 per cent of retirees over 65 who haven’t received financial advice say they aren’t enjoying their retirement compared to just 23 per cent of those who do have an adviser.

So that prompted me to think, what is it that I do that generally makes my clients happier in retirement than people who do not have me as their adviser. Is it my annual reviews that are making the difference?

Unlikely although I think a lot of clients look forward to our annual catch up. It’s more due to the fact that once people realize that the financial side of their lives is sorted, then they are better able to focus on those things in life that will make them happy and to structure their retirement around it.

A recent article in the Australian Financial Review suggested there were four things that all retirees have in common who have made a successful transition to retirement.

The first is discipline. That successful retirees are very good at setting goals and routines and sticking to them.

This can range from weekly games of golf or a regular coffee morning with friends to planning holidays big and small or just making sure that they get out and about on a regular basis to see and explore new things.

The second is a focus on staying physically active and by this doing more than just walking around a golf course once a week. A quick visit during the daytime to any gym or sports club will see it full of older Australians pumping iron and generally looking after themselves.

This of course is matched by ensuring that you are eating the right foods and taking good care of your health by ensuring you follow your doctor’s orders and have regular scans and medical checks as and when required.

The third important factor according to the Financial Review is to make sure you build a group of friends that you regularly catch up with. This can be a challenge as you get older as we drop out of the usual social circles connected with employment or school runs or just the general pace of working life.

This might require some active decision making in the early years of retirement and you might find that you have to make strong efforts to find groups where you feel welcomed and enjoy being part of.

While it might happen quickly, and you might easily fall on your feet in retirement, it might not. The important thing is to persevere until you find groups and a regular routine that keeps you outwardly focused and positive in spirit.