I think it's useful to have a realistic retirement goal, taking inflation into consideration. A good first step, usually, is to pay off any debt. Your house can serve as a retirement asset if it's paid off or nearly so. If you pay off a car loan, start putting $150 or so each month into a "car account" so you pay off the next one ahead of time. And I realize for anyone living close to the edge this isn't practicable advice. I've been there.
A reason I took the job I did was their retirement plan. It was generous, not a pension, but the company bought stock (in the company) for us each year. I knew secretaries who worked there 30 years who had well over a million, which was real money back then. A problem with state pensions can be that the pensions are in deep water (Illinois) and won't be able to pay much in the future, Social Security is in the same boat to an extent. But even if not fixed, SS would be able to pay about 75% of current benefits, so I don't view it as "I'll never see a dime" kind of thing (I am on it now.).
It's useful not to consider SS until you start getting it though. And of course the amount you get is based on 35 years of salary where you paid FICA.