::.My spouse refuses to acknowledge we will eventually retire...

When your spouse is unwilling to accept the reality of retirement, this can create major anxieties, disagreements, and doubts about the future. Your spouse may not want to talk about it, but that's exactly  what the two of you must do: communicate.

The  Solution
 

• Talk about your careers: Your spouse's refusal to acknowledge retirement may be telling you something else. Perhaps your spouse really wants to switch careers after retiring from this current one. Maybe he or she wants to continue working but in a part-time capacity. Discuss it.

 

• Explore denial: Your  spouse may also be in denial because you're pushing for a decision that he or she is not ready to make. Perhaps you're pushing to leave  your present home for a new one in a different area and your spouse isn't ready. Ask about it.

 

• Work together: Tell  your spouse you are genuinely interested in creating the best possible future together. Propose discussing retirement plans in three months' time: tell your spouse to think about what he or she desires for the future and set a date to discuss it.

 

• Seek advice: You may also propose seeking short-term joint counseling to help you figure  out future plans.