We start off every new year with a desire to improve from the last. We usually focus on health, saying we will head to the gym or shed a few pounds. Sometimes we focus on personally bettering ourselves, maybe by staying organized or making an effort to be more positive. But as you enter into the golden years of retirement, what financial steps can you take to make sure you are living the best retirement possible?

Easy. We have the retirement resolution checklist. Do these and help bring yourself a better financial 2016.

1. Check your financial vitals.

Every year you go to the doctor to check out your health. Just as you would check your vitals at the doctors you should regularly check the vitals of your financial portfolio. In retirement, your portfolio is your lifeline and all that is supporting you. You should be aware of its contents and performance so you can evaluate if your financials will be able to support you the rest of your retirement. Are you on pace to outlive your money or is your money generating enough income to outlive you?

2. Evaluate your lifestyle.

Are you content with the lifestyle you are living?

If you are fortunate enough to say yes, then you need to be realistic and make sure your asset allocation is generating the income you need to continue to support your way of life.

If you answered no to this, then you have to think, what lifestyle can I realistically have and what kind of finances would I need to support this?

Retirement is a question of lifestyle. Once you balance the lifestyle you want with the assets you have, you need to create a financial plan that will support the best lifestyle you can afford yourself. Without a plan to support you, you will either have to adjust your lifestyle, usually by a downgrade, or you will have to continue to work until you are in position to have the life you want.

3. Follow financial news.

You have a lifestyle in mind, and an asset base you will use to maintain it. How do you assure yourself it will last? You need a financial plan that not only monetarily reaches your goals, but is compatible with the economic environment.

Do you know how the market is doing? Is it expected to continue being volatile? Knowing what is going on in the world will help you make better financial decisions. Knowing the Fed changed interest rates may lead you to reevaluate your bond portfolio. Seeing the impact China has on the market may lead you to minimize what you have in the market when China faces instability. Knowing the link between falling oil prices and stocks may help you predict where everything is headed and know where to put your money to escape the risk.

4. Take control of your financial future.

So now you know where you where you stand, where you want to be, and what is going to affect your journey. Use this information to make sure your financial plan is working for you. Retirement is a long proposition, and with the ever volatile world economy, you want to be certain your hard earned money is safe and being used to create the lifestyle of your dreams. A healthy financial backbone is simply a means to make sure you have the ability to enjoy retirement on your terms. Take control of it.