Ask anyone and they'll most likely say they want to have a great retirement. But looking at the day-to-day financial decisions of most people might tell a different story.

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's not enough to want a great retirement. You need to decide what it will look like, create a plan to work towards it and execute your plan day by day. In short, you need to live an intentional life.

This was the message I heard loud and clear from this week's listener's story.

Favorite Quote From This Week's Story

[Tweet ""To this day, when I want something, I think through it and make sure I want it.""]

Lessons Learned From Ken, Jr.

* Intentional decision making helps you think ahead and avoid rash decisions.

* Don't over think investing. Patience is a key to success.

* Parent's play a big role in shaping how kids think about money.

* Not letting your lifestyle creep up as your income grows is essential to wealth creation.

Who is Ken Jr.?

* Ken, Jr. was a Corporate computer guy for almost 20 years.

* Married 20 years

* No kids

* Average age of late 40s

* Both retired

What Does Retirement Mean to You?  

“I think mostly the freedom to set my own schedule. To enjoy anything I want to do."

“I do computer consulting on the side.”

“I do volunteer presentations at senior centers on technology.”

“I loved my day job, it's just I wanted all of my own schedule."

"The truth is, I feel much busier now that I can’t catch up with all the things I saved up wanting to do.”

What Are You Most Excited About Retirement?

“Actually, part of it is the challenge of planning money over time.”

“I just like doing whatever we want to do that week we’ve planned.”

What Are You Most Worried About Retirement?

“The usual three things: investment return income, expenses and inflation and longevity.”

Who Do You Use in Your Life to Help Make Smart Financial Decisions?  

“It’s been on my list to do. I planned aggressively for retirement 8 years before I retired.”

“I need to…to give me a checkpoint, an alternative view and to help me check in every year or two.”

"Mine wasn’t how to get to retire, it’s how to manage the puzzle into the future.”

What Has Been Your Worst Financial Decision?

“Was not knowing about Total Market Indexes, 20 years ago.”

What has been the Hardest Thing to Deal with Personally in Managing Your Finances?

“It has been the fine tuning and optimizing…”

What Resources Have Had the Most Impact in Your Life?

”My parents led by example. They lived below their means. They lived on one salary.  They tracked their spending every day.”

"My parents taught me patience."

"Clarke Howard."

How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

“As a whole, I just want to be a good, helpful person.”