Are you looking forward to no alarm clocks, nowhere to be, nothing to do for some undefined period starting day one of your retirement? Dreaming of no one to answer to? Craving some serious down time before you figure out what's next for you? Beware. You need a segue plan. And no, it's not endless days of open-ended nothingness. It's a plan that takes you 180 degrees away from your career, doing something that really gets your juices going. It will take you successfully from your last day of work through some pre-determined period of time, so you can avoid post-career depression and other assorted woes that happen to those who fail to plan an excellent segue. You may not know what's next for you, but you can make sure that you set yourself up for a painless transition.

Here are three terrific ways to segue from your career to retirement:

1. Plan a year-long adventure. When Don Kjelleren retired in 1993 after 37 years of service with DuPont, he instinctively knew that if he went to a dead stop from traveling non-stop around the world and managing over 1000 employees running international marketing for the company, it would be, well, deadly for him. As a lifelong mountain climber, Don had already climbed many of the planet's most famous mountains. He is also an adventurer, so he combined his love of travel with his passion for mountain climbing and his competitive nature and created a year-long goal to climb the highest mountain, run 10 miles and swim one mile in all 50 United States.

And, in case you think this was all a slam dunk for Don, you need to know that before this adventure he was terrified of the water. Not only did he overcome his fear and reach his goal, but Don successfully decompressed from his high-powered career and was recharged and ready to create the life he's enjoying today. He currently serves on the Governor of Delaware's Commission on Lifestyles and Fitness, is Vice Chairman of the National Senior Games Association (the Senior Olympics), Chairman of the Advisory Council for the New Castle RSVP, and belongs to a number of additional organizations associated with health and well-being. Don loves focusing his time and energy on his mission -- encouraging others to take responsibility for their health.

2. Get a degree in a topic that fascinates you. When Jean Shula left her career as a successful therapist at 62, she, too, was ready for an adventure. She's curious about the world, loves meeting people of all ages and exploring new cultures, and has had a lifelong love of learning. She thought learning something new would be a kick, and while exploring what was out there stumbled upon the European Peace University, and a year long master's program -- one academic year spent at the University in Austria and then finish her thesis at home.

Jean found the program exciting, stimulating, and intellectually challenging, but her greatest joy was living in a dorm with people from every continent, many of whom were living side-by-side with their "enemies" (i.e. Israelis and Palestinians, Indians and Pakistanis.) She found it a great place to lose one's fears and prejudices, and she came away from the year with an understanding that she'd already led a full, rich life, and had accumulated some wisdom to share. By the time she had completed her thesis, she knew that she would pursue her lifelong dream of writing. Today, the success of Jean's first book, The Coming of Aging: Learning to Live from the Inside Out, takes her around the country keynoting and leading workshops, and her second book will be published shortly.

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