Motivation in retirement: the three C’s

Many questions will arise in your transition from work to retirement. Or as I like to say, when you cross the bridge from a working life to a life after work.

In this article I will address a very important question: motivation in retirement. Where can you locate it and why does it matter? As for the “where” of motivation I will defer my answer and move straight to the “why”. 

You already know that motivation matters because of something obvious from your worklife: there you have a strong motivation to achieve (perhaps not every day or week). Why? It’s obvious, it’s because your job demands that you achieve certain goals. I don't care what your job is: from bus driver to Prime Minister you're going to be measured and assessed by certain outcomes that you will strive to achieve. Importantly those goals are typically set and measured by other people. I call that external motivation.

Suddenly in retirement that external motivation can disappear, but don’t worry, there is help. PHEW. It’s your internal motivation. This is the “where” I mentioned before. Internal motivation derives from the reasons deep inside you that inspire you to set and achieve your goals. What do I mean here? I will get to that, however first I need to say something encouraging.

This shift from external to internal motivation in retirement can be liberating. And of course you may still have external motivation in play e.g. carrying out some voluntary work where another party sets your goals.

So what are those “reasons deep inside you” I mentioned above? To answer that I need to talk about your “needs”. I’m sure you know about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where food and shelter sit at the base of his pyramid of needs for each person. I don’t think that is controversial. It gets trickier as we move up the Maslow hierarchy through health, then family, then on to so-called higher needs you may have (such as self-esteem). Hang about. What’s all this got to do with retirement?

All things considered, you may be thinking can’t I just relax and have fun in retirement? Yes you can, and if that is all you want then read no further. But if you seek a retirement where you flourish and achieve fulfilment, where your identity that you project into the world is strong and even admirable, then motivation to achieve some of your higher needs (whatever they might be) is critical. This brings us back, after a long detour, to internal motivation.

Now I want to deconstruct this concept of internal motivation, by invoking these three C's of motivation:

·      Challenge

·      Contribution

·      Control

To be sure – as you will recognise - all three were in evidence when you worked in the channel of external motivation.

Let’s explore them.

1.   Challenge

Retirement prompts a choice between a growth-oriented strategy or a status quo/defensive approach. The former involves actively seeking new challenges to grow and flourish, while the latter may emphasize comfort, de-stressing and relaxation. In truth this distinction is only a matter of emphasis, as even a golf player will adopt the growth strategy of shrinking his handicap.

A growth strategy will cause you to embrace challenges that stretch your capabilities. Moreover, learning to play a musical instrument or mastering any new skill can meet your needs, by providing a sense of achievement that will guide you down the path to a fulfilling retirement.

2.   Contribution

In our lives we want to do more than sit in a room looking out a window. In other words, we have a deep desire to contribute to something beyond ourselves. In retired life (as in worklife), this desire to contribute could manifest as supporting family, engaging with society, participating in community initiatives, developing others through mentoring or perhaps all four, and more. Contribution provides a sense of purpose that anchors retirees in meaningful pursuits.

3.   Control

The final—and perhaps most subtle—of the Three C’s is control. By this, I mean a sense of autonomy or self-governance. In retirement, you are suddenly liberated from the pressures that guided your work activities. But this is also a challenge, namely what do you do with your life? What activities do you engage in?

As soon as you meet and overcome that challenge you find something amazing. You are your own boss. This gives you the ability to design your days based on decisions that align with your needs, personal values, and meaning. 

If you read this far I assume you have in interest in flourishing in your retirement. Good. Then the three C’s of motivation should be useful to you, and I advise you to think about them further. Of course a retirement coach can help.

You know where to find me.

Jon Glass Retirement Coach