It's not always easy for people 50 plus to switch gears as they approach retirement age. Some have never given retirement much or any thought before now. They were always focused on their jobs and families.

Many are more concerned about their retirement nest egg than on creating a fulfilling retirement life.

Retirement doesn't mean sitting on the couch and watching life go by. You need to be proactive. Otherwise, you are going to be one of the retirees who complains, I hate retirement.

Drum roll please......

This year's annual list of the 10 Best Places to Retire—released by U.S. News & World Report, kicks off with Flagstaff, Arizona, but I think it's only because they don't know enough about Lakeside-Pinetop and Show Low, or the northwest part of Phoenix where Sun City sits.

Although I really like places like the Munds Park area, and other places outside the city of Flagstaff like Park, the city itself makes me feel claustrophobic and uneasy for some reason. Maybe it is the way they laid it out. And there is a lot of traffic.

Show Low, and the Lakeside-Pinetop area seems more relaxed but has all of the same amenities without giving up that mountain feel so many people move there to enjoy, or own a second home. Winters get snow, however winters are not as long as places farther to the north like Colorado or Utah and the remaining months have near perfect climates.

Home prices here are cheaper too and because of that the cost of living is less. Here are more great picks for places to retire. Click here