Most people hope and dream that they will have a successful and enjoyable retirement. So if you want your golden years to be golden, there are some serious things to consider long before your retirement.

Everyone knows they are going to have to save and invest for retirement. One problem is many people don’t invest anywhere near enough for retirement. And some people, even those who do manage to save, make errors over the years that reduce their chances of having a happy and secure retirement.

24/7 Wall St. is familiar with the adage “it takes over $1 million to retire comfortably.’’ This may be an arbitrary figure, but what is not arbitrary is it takes discipline and it requires avoiding mistakes and pitfalls to have a happy retirement.

When you think about retirement, you have to consider your expenses for living. These include the cost of your home, food, health and medical care, transportation, vacations, entertainment, and basic spending needs.

While it is essential for workers to start thinking about retirement in their 20s, many savers don’t get around to preparing for their golden years until their 40s or 50s. Some people don’t think about retirement until they are just a few years away from retirement. It’s never too early and it’s never too late to start saving.

This article may seem targeted to investors in 401(k) and individual retirement accounts (IRA), however, these principles apply to everyone who has to save for retirement.

For the vast majority of Americans, there will be Social Security benefits for them in retirement. And your company might even have a matching plan or some form of contribution to help you invest for retirement. Still, it’s likely that it’s going to be on your shoulders how you should have that money invested.

Click here to see some mistakes people make that can easily steal away their retirement plans.