Retiring to play golf isn’t the draw it once was.

In a 2014 survey in the United States, 72 per cent of employees over the age of 50 reported that they would like to continue working in retirement.

That’s partly a response to a need to compensate for diminished savings, but it is also about personal and professional fulfilment.

For everyone seeking something meaningful in retirement – which lasts, on average, 18 years – planning, and some compromise, may be necessary.

Here are four key questions to ask as you consider your next act.

1 How much money do you need to earn? If making a certain amount of money is mandatory for your retirement plans, that comes first. You're more likely to need to continue working full-time, and you may need to stick close to the field you spent your career in.

2 How much location independence do you want? If you want to balance work with travel, or you would like to spend winters somewhere else, you need to cultivate a location-independent second act.

Perhaps you could choose a job that only operates part of the year or that can be done remotely.

3 How radical a change are you seeking? If you're still interested in your current field, you could discuss the possibility with your current employer of transitioning from a full-time position to a consultant role.

Alternately, you may have other industry contacts who would also like to hire you as a consultant.

If you want to leave your field and make a bolder change, start laying the groundwork early.

4 How can you test-drive your future career? The earlier you start planning, the more time you have to experiment and try new directions on the side. – (Copyright Harvard Business Review 2016)