Confidence is a big part of how people approach retirement planning, with 72 percent believing their life goals are achievable, but there's a difference between life goals and retirement goals—and there's plenty of variation between the confidence people feel about meeting those goals and the fears that could undermine their actions.

In fact, emotional obstacles can impede both life goals and retirement goals, and different generations will choose to act (or not) based on different emotional responses.

While most respondents indicated they want to enjoy life, feel financially secure and have peace of mind in their retirement, there was quite a bit of variation, depending on which retirement goals hit home—and whether respondents were still working or not.

Those still working said they expect 40 percent of their spending to go to basic living expenses, followed by travel (19 percent) and health care (18 percent) in their retirement. Respondents in the 45–54 age group, meanwhile, have taken some blows to their finances, and their responses indicate their uneasiness with their financial outlook.

Fifty-five percent of them say one of their top three goals in life is to feel stable and secure, with 36 percent citing that as their top goal.

Forty-two percent say they'd like to enjoy life in retirement, but may not feel they'll be able to do that; just 5 percent chose enjoying life as their top goal.

And while they care about their families' futures, older baby boomers, at least (age 65–75), aren't planning on leaving a financial legacy. Instead, 86 percent intend to live comfortably in retirement.

For the survey, respondents were asked to choose up to five retirement goals from among the following selections, and there was a big difference in responses between those who were still working and those who were already retired.

Some were generational, but all were at least in part emotional. Here are the goals:

9. Purchase something.

This retirement objective was a low item on the list, with just 7 percent of still-working respondents choosing it and even fewer, 4 percent, of retired respondents picking it.

8. Accomplish/establish something.

This objective was not high on respondents' lists either, with 17 percent of working respondents choosing it but just 15 percent of retired respondents doing so. Apparently most people are intending to do just that—retire.

7. Make improvements to things I have.

Retired respondents chose this more often than those who are still working, with 29 percent of the former opting for it compared with just 14 percent of the latter. And just 6 percent of GenXers are thinking that far ahead and planning on improvements.

6. Become more financially secure/get out of debt.

Only 20 percent of working respondents chose this, while—disturbingly—more retired respondents did, even if it was just a single percent more (21 percent).

Actually, while more than a third of working respondents (38 percent) are not actively paying off any expenses before retirement, 31 percent are attempting to pay off their mortgage and 10 percent are paying down credit card debt.

5. Make improvements to myself/well-being.

There's a tad more interest in self-improvement among both working and retired respondents, with 25 percent of working respondents planning to up their game once they leave the job and a perhaps surprising 37 percent of retirees intending to do the same.

4. Participate in charitable acts.

Among working respondents, 28 percent plan to do good once they retire, while slightly more retirees—35 percent—are focused on the same sort of activity.

3. Spend more time with my family.

This is an interesting choice, since that seems to be exactly what many respondents still working are aiming for—56 percent of them chose it as a retirement goal, and among GenXers, 49 percent are looking forward to more family time once they retire—but among retirees, not so much.

In fact, only 44 percent of those already retired are looking forward to spending more time with their kin. The youngest group of respondents seems to be the most eager to hang out with relatives; 68 percent of millennials chose this.

2. Travel somewhere.

This was a biggie for retired and nonretired alike, with 77 percent of the former and 70 percent of the latter opting for exploring the world, or at least a part of it. Even GenXers are looking forward to travel in retirement, with 21 percent choosing it.

1. Live comfortably.

With 77 percent of working respondents and 83 percent of retirees choosing this, it's clear that this is the big kahuna. But of course there's a lot of worry focused on this very objective, what with concerns over not being able to save enough money to last through retirement and fears over what the soaring cost of health care will do to any retirement savings people do manage to sock away.