The Denver Post, Forbes magazine, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College all provide lists of things to think about to best prepare for retirement.

So what should the “average person” know and do to prepare for retirement? A quick search of the Internet alerts readers to countless prescriptions for retirement planning. These articles have distilled the retirement preparation process into a number of “easy” steps. Like with a medical prescription, when it comes to retirement preparation, following the label instructions through the full course of treatment – until and into retirement – is most likely to ensure a satisfactory outcome.

Here’s the PERA on the Issues list of steps to take to prepare for retirement:

Step 1. Define your retirement dreams. From simple to exotic, retirement dreams come in all shapes and sizes. For some, spending retirement at home with children and grandchildren or volunteering in the community may be just what the doctor ordered. For others, retirement may mean starting a new career, perhaps at a different pace. Or maybe sailing off and settling in a South Pacific paradise? The importance of defining life after work is the first step.

Step 2. Look at the price tag. Here’s where the balance sheet begins. How much will it cost? Not much is going to be free, but some items may be discounted. Most people want to take advantage of discounts wherever possible. That may make more dreams possible to be fulfilled. At a fundamental level, is retirement even possible? The Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2015 Retirement Confidence Index reports workers’ increasing confidence in their ability to pay for retirement, including an 8 percent jump in those who are very confident in their ability to pay for basic expenses (up from 29 percent in 2014), a 6 percent increase in those very confident in their ability to pay for medical expenses (up from 12 percent in 2011), and a 5 percent increase in those very confident they will be able to pay for long-term care expenses (up from 9 percent in 2011).

Step 3. Find the discounts. Prices are one thing, but being creative can reduce the cost of retirement. What tax breaks, exemptions, and exclusions are available? In Colorado, retirees benefit from pension income exclusions up to certain levels and age restrictions. In addition, Colorado has provisions for a Homestead Exemption and certain senior tax work-off programs that may reduce property taxes. How about auto and home insurance discounts? Ever think about forming an informal purchasing cooperative with friends or neighbors to divide up a large quantity of commonly used items? Are there more advantageous times during the year to make certain purchases or to book a vacation or cruise?

Step 4. Add it up. Sum up resources and debts. Social Security, retirement plans, tax-deferred accounts (401(k), 403(b), 457, IRAs), Roth accounts, personal investments, and savings need to be assessed. What kind of debt such as a mortgage, a car, or child college expenses are on the other side of the balance sheet?

Step 5. Build a realistic plan. Designing a plan is both the easiest and the hardest task all at the same time. Be realistic and stay on track. The plan should put lifestyle and resources in context. This may involve making decisions and choices and building priorities. Developing a budget is a fundamental step in fitting all of the “to-do” list items into the available resources. Some expenses in retirement will completely go away or be reduced (such as a work wardrobe) and other expenses (like health care) will increase.

Step 6. Do a financial and lifestyle dry run. Lots of financial planning advice has included taking the plan and implementing some of its components before retirement actually takes place. Is it affordable? Are these activities enjoyable? Perhaps now is the time to have a reality check.

Step 7. Think about what can get in the way. Temporary or permanent changes can and likely will happen at some point in retirement. Medical, family, and financial issues can occur at almost any point. Preparation is the key. Having a contingency plan is mandatory. Medical history may be a good indicator of good and bad things to come. Aging parents and their need for care may interrupt best laid plans. Financial resource protection must be monitored and modified based upon economic cycles.

Step 8. Get some advice. While many like to “go it alone,” some well-placed counsel can answer a lot of very practical questions about every aspect of retirement from financial advice to “happening” things to do in the community. Certainly, the advice from a qualified and trusted financial advisor can identify all sorts of tax-saving strategies and investment products designed for retiree wealth protection. But remember, buyer beware.

Step 9. Get ready to do it. Retirement preparation includes wrapping up current business affairs and staging the next chapter. Just like the hand-off in a football game, in an employment situation, the critical component to success is preparing to give the ball to someone else. Executing this well can be the capstone of a rewarding career and build the foundation for the future success of the organization you leave.

Step 10. Periodically review and possibly revise the plan. Robert Burns said it so well in his 1786 poem, To a Mouse:

In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft a-gley, [often go awry].

Retirement preparation includes the foreknowledge that any plan must be flexible to adjust to new realities. Health, investment return, unforeseen bills, or loss of a spouse or partner might change the current picture.

After all, living life is the process of continuously adjusting. Thinking now about retirement and how to make it happen means it will be more likely to see a retirement dream as day-to-day life after retirement.