Knocking on wood, crossing fingers and holding on to rabbit’s feet are common superstitions associated with good fortune. Breaking mirrors, walking under ladders or crossing paths with a black cat are linked to bad luck.

Superstitions can take a variety of forms, but they aren’t typically associated with the retirement transition. You don’t hear about people breaking wishbones on their last day of work or asking their advisors to round their account balances up if they contain a “13” or “666.”

Yet, the reality is, people assume that the odds will favor them in retirement if they reach a certain age and asset level. As if reaching age 65 with a million dollars in savings is a sure bet for a successful retirement. But that’s like assuming Tom Brady won’t throw another touchdown pass against your home team because you’re sitting in a special chair or wearing a certain hat or shirt.

Superstitions are commonly associated with astrology, fortune-telling and paranormal entities. Financial professionals may not look to the stars or into crystal balls for their clients nearing retirement, yet there are some non-supernatural superstitions that clients have anyway:

• That when they reach a certain age they will be prepared for retirement;
• That by attaining a certain savings level they will make retirement better or easier;
• That Medicare eligibility will save them money and cover their medical needs; and
• That more time and fewer distractions will enable them to create the lives they have always dreamed of.

The reality is that a client’s age, portfolio value, debt level, health insurance status and flexible schedule won’t make them happy, healthy, relevant, loved or better connected, nor mean that their new life in retirement is more meaningful or valuable than before.

Some people feel better with a four-leaf clover. Others feel more secure and happy with extra money, insurance and time. But those things don’t bring happiness by themselves—don’t bring retirees closer to family and friends, don’t force them to follow that exercise routine they planned when they stopped working. These factors don’t help if they have put their skills and abilities on a shelf and are watching too much TV news. You don’t need a palm reader to foresee these problems. Nor do you need rocket science.

What both professionals and clients miss is that retirement doesn’t eliminate work, it simply reorients it. Sure, people don’t have to get up and go to work and muster through boring staff meetings or deal with an annoying boss, co-worker or time line anymore. But they need to do specific things to ensure their health, happiness and relationships, and these things will take an equal amount of work and effort, if not more, than what they were doing before.

I would be remiss if I didn’t disclose that I have a few of my own superstitions. And I’m not alone. One survey suggests that approximately 44% of U.S. adults are superstitious to some degree, and 9% of the respondents said they are very superstitious. The psychology of these beliefs and behaviors is that they offer us ways to soothe anxiety or prepare our brains to deal with unknowable situations. When we develop habits around them, we feel we have some influence or control over events.

Researchers looking at superstitious behavior in sports showed that, even though the beliefs didn’t win athletes better outcomes, the placebo effect was enough to make it worthwhile. The American Psychological Association says many people know that their rituals or beliefs don’t really affect outcomes, but that doesn’t mean people are ready to let these beliefs go.

It’s no different for financial services professionals, who also hold tight to certain ideas about retirement: We don’t want to let go of the ideas that a certain amount of money or insurance will save us after we stop working. But if we can combine these beliefs and rituals with other factors, taking into account a client’s health, happiness and connections, then we are leaving less to fate and hope.

The process for doing this can be fairly simple and straightforward, and it won’t require much more than some questions on company letterhead, including a place for clients to write their answers.

It should include questions such as:

• What does a perfect day and week look like in retirement?
• What aspects of your life have you had to put on hold because of your work and career life?
• In retirement you will gain time and freedom, but what aspects will you be losing in the transition?
• What things are you planning to do in retirement that you’re not doing right now for your health?
• What three to five goals do you want to accomplish in your first few months of retirement?

One of the goals behind these questions is to get clients thinking about their everyday life in retirement. Too often people approach it with a variety of vague ideas and assumptions. They think just because they are no longer working that things will magically fall into place and they will have purpose, direction and fulfillment simply by being able to wake up on their own and by having the option to do whatever they want throughout the day. That’s like thinking that carrying a horseshoe everywhere in retirement would provide good luck. If the client has the time to think about it and actually write it down, we move away from hope and fate to concrete ideas and strategies.

Also, by asking these questions, you keep clients from having to figure things out on the fly when they stop working. It’s common for people to say that they are going to work out more, eat better, spend more time with family and volunteer for impact once they retire. But that’s just talk. They are only assuming that they will have the health, energy, and motivation to work out more, that family wants to spend time with them, and that volunteering a few hours a week somewhere will give them similar purpose and direction that their work did.

You don’t have to ask everyone who comes into your office these questions. Start with one client to see how it feels and flows, then build on that momentum. You don’t have to rework your entire process and develop new content and material. You just have to care enough to ask one person. That’s it!

The opportunity to help your clients plan beyond dollars and cents is the next frontier in financial services, and it’s not only rewarding for them but also for you. You are giving them specific things to do in retirement; goals to work on and achieve; and existing routines to develop for health, relationships and personal well-being. These things will better position them. It’s not enough to have saved plenty and be protected by various insurances.

The reality is, you need both a written plan for the financial and non-financial aspects if you want to take superstition out of the retirement equation.

This is the new narrative for retirement and why a premium will continue to be placed on financial professionals who not only have the training and expertise in this area but also the tools and skills to help clients retire with a realistic approach rather than their fingers crossed and a lucky rabbit’s foot in their pocket. 

Robert Laura is a bestselling author, nationally syndicated columnist and president of Wealth & Wellness Group. He is a seasoned conference speaker, corporate trainer and founder of the Certified Professional Retirement Coach Designation, which focuses on the non-financial aspects of life after work. He can be reached at [email protected].