Use Your Motivation to Prepare for Your Retirement Work
©Shane Flait 2010

If it looks like you’ll need to work in retirement, at least for a while, choose an endeavor you enjoy to keep yourself motivated. This article gives you an approach to finding a job you want.

Whether you’re just beginning retirement or have a few years to go, you may know that you’ll have to supplement your retirement income with some working income. And that means working part-time or full-time either for a company or yourself. If that’s you, here’s something to think about.

Most likely you’ve worked all your life for someone else. And there’s a good chance you worked ‘just for the money’ to support the kids and family and to enjoy doing what you wanted to do in your free time. To you, working and enjoying were separate activities.

But you ought to aim for enjoying your work to help make your retirement enjoyable. If you’re still working at your career job, its income will support you while you develop what your ‘retirement’ job will be. If you’re retired, you have some retirement income from Social Security, pension, and/or savings but, perhaps, not quite enough to spend for things to enjoy.

If either is the case with you, rather than jump on the work ‘just for the money’ routine for any old company, should try to choose a job you can enjoy. So, how do you do that? 

Self-employment interests you?

If you’d like to self-employ yourself, first find something you enjoy doing – a hobby, an avocation, a ‘desire to do…’ – and then begin doing it. So, where does the money comes from?

Don’t worry about the money. First find enjoyment expanding your time and effort doing what you want to do. Spend little or no money, though, and live off whatever retirement income you have if you aren’t still working. Otherwise find the time to do so if you’re still on your career job.

So now you’re enjoying yourself for free – without getting a job ‘for the money’ to spend to enjoy yourself ‘after work hours’!

But use your motivation at doing ‘what you like to do’ to think of ways you can ‘eke’ out a few dollars from it, too. Just go for those few dollars and forget about becoming a millionaire business man. But keep pushing yourself a little more at the same time as you keep your overall efforts directed so you’re enjoying what you’re doing.  Eventually, you’ll find a way to pull in something more.

Remember, getting by on your own and doing what you like to do is the dream you - and everyone else - has had all his working life. And now you’re doing it.

Not interested in being self-employed?

Take the same approach to find a job you’ll enjoy doing, though for some company. Search out the nature of work you think you’d like. There may be several jobs that you’d love. But, I’m guessing that your choice job is not available.

Don’t let that deter you. Consider offering your services for very little, as an ‘intern’ (a euphemism for no pay but the opportunity to learn), or simply as a volunteer. Now go to it.

Your motivation should help make you a good ‘worker’ – a good learner and enthusiastic. Then the opportunities will begin to appear. Keep your eyes open and grab on to what you want.

Remember, you retirement work should bring you satisfaction and enjoyment. That doesn’t mean it won’t take effort and endurance. What it does mean is that the effort and endurance will be worth more than whatever money you get.

 Shane Flait is a writer and educator. Get more info at www.EasyRetirementKnowHow.com