Retirement may be many years ahead, but what you do today will determine how smoothly you handle your post-retirement life.

Dreaming about your retirement is the first step; planning and working towards your retirement goals is what will actually get you there.

Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid and what to do instead.

Mistake #1: Not creating a retirement road map

Mistake #2: Not knowing how much you need at the time retirement

Mistake #3: Not starting early enough

Mistake #4: Not including contingencies such as health care expenses in your retirement plan

Mistake #5: Not making smart investment decisions

When planning for retirement, it’s important to realize where you want to be, in order to know what you need to do to get there.