Something to Give

Mitch Anthony

Recently, I’ve seen an increased amount of interest in The New Retirementality. Partly out of necessity (financially not able to leave the workforce), but primarily out of need (not wanting to leave the workforce), I’m seeing more and more people wanting to extend their working years. As you’ve heard me say over and over again, a life of ease leads to disease. Retirement is not in our DNA—we have an insatiable need as humans to be productive and needed. Volunteering is one way to make a meaningful contribution to society and fulfill your need to stay involved.

Most people feel that they have something to give, but not everyone feels they can afford to be charitable. The truth is, we can all afford to give something. According to one survey, the traits that people offer as their most important potential contributions include:

• Experience

• Wisdom and perspective

• Patience and freedom from other distractions

• Time

• Determination and resolve

None of these involve money.

One of the travesties of recent American culture is how little the premium is that we have placed on these traits. Three in four of us have reported being involved in some sort of community service. About 50 percent, however, admit that their involvement has been limited to one-time or sporadic involvement. Another study on volunteering in the United States by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the volunteer ratio for those over 65 was only 25 percent, although the time commitment for this age group was higher than other groups. Overwhelmingly, the greatest intrinsic motivation for those who are already retired is the need to feel important and engaged.

According to a Princeton survey, fully half of all adults aged 50 to 75 say they are interested in taking jobs now or in the future to help improve the quality of life in their communities. These folks will not allow themselves to be labeled secondary citizens relegated to retirement communities (as past generations have been) and will continue to be engaged in the communities where they live.

Current participation in raising money for charities, helping the elderly, working with children and youth, and being involved in local community issues point to a higher sense of civic engagement for future retirees. These individuals are not going to give their time and effort to just anybody. Instead, they will focus on the causes and people who recognize the unique contribution of wisdom, experience, and energy they bring. Their efforts will go to causes that help them feel important.

One of the heroes of the highly engaged retiree has been former President Jimmy Carter. More than 43 percent of today’s retirees said Carter was a great example of the ideals they are seeking in retirement. Since leaving the presidency, Carter has worked tirelessly for Habitat for Humanity and as an informal diplomatic ambassador.

According to another study, well-defined new rules for retirement taking hold in our society include the following:

Assertiveness. Instead of shrinking from old age and retirement, Americans are embracing later life and asserting themselves as valuable members of the community with special and unique traits to offer. Increasingly, they see their maturity as an asset rather than a frailty, and, as a result, they are eager to stay engaged in, rather than withdrawn from, their environment.

Meaningful Involvement. Americans’ attitudes toward volunteering and community service reflect their general approach to retirement and later life. Although these adults express a strong desire to be involved in volunteer activities, they are seeking meaningful activities that take advantage of their special traits rather than activities that merely fill time.

A Benevolence Boom. Even though a majority of mature Americans express a promising interest in incorporating volunteer and community service activities into their retirement plans, those who have not yet retired express immeasurably more interest.

In my own life, such a goal has been the most potent motivator for an aggressive and disciplined savings program. My wife and I have been much more disciplined than what comes naturally because we want the freedom to pursue efforts that we think can make the most impact in the world. My company has been involved for years in writing life skills curricula for schools, and one of those curricula was on the topic of suicide prevention. A book I wrote on the topic was translated into Spanish, Polish, and Slavic, and I started receiving invitations to countries to help them find ways of addressing suicide prevention with their young people. What I found in many of these countries were people eager to help their young but lacking the resources or training to do so. They simply could not afford such “luxuries.”

Together with other concerned parties, we started ONE LIFE for the purpose of providing suicide prevention education and life skills training for teens anywhere in the world at no charge to the recipients. One thing you quickly learn by spending time in Third World countries is that they all look to the United States for answers. We have the most advanced answers for what ails the world. We also have the kinds of resources that most of these people could never dream of having. In ONE LIFE, I found a way to connect American resources and resourcefulness to a tragic need in other nations without burdening those who want to help with impossible expenses. This is a model of benevolence that I believe we will see more of in coming years. We will utilize our entrepreneurial spirit and resourcefulness to help other people of the world solve their physical, social, and practical problems. We all have so much that we can give ideas and resources to help the many unmet needs in our world.

Adapted from The New Retirementality: Planning Your Life and Living Your Dreams…at Any Age You Want by Mitch Anthony.  ©2008 Mitch Anthony.  Published by John Wiley & Sons Inc.  For more information, click here.

Mitch Anthony is the founder and president of the Financial Life Planning Institute, the leading provider of financial life planning tools and programs. 

For more than a decade, Mitch and his team have provided training and development for both individual advisors and major organizations throughout the world. Mitch personally consults with many of the largest and most-recognizable names in the financial services industry on both financial life planning and relationship development.

Mitch has been named one of the financial services industry’s top “Movers & Shakers” for his pioneering work, and is interviewed by the media on a regular basis. The Institute is partnering with both Texas Tech University and the University of Georgia to develop financial life planning programs for their undergraduate programs. Mitch is a popular keynote speaker, columnist for Financial Advisor magazine, and host of the daily radio feature, The Daily Dose, heard on over 100 radio stations nationwide.

Mitch is also the author of many groundbreaking books for advisors and consumers, including perennial bestseller StorySelling for Financial Advisors, cited by “Financial Advisor” magazine as the number one “must-read” book for financial professionals. Mitch’s other books include From the Boiler Room to the Living Room, The New Retirementality, Your Clients for Life, Your Client’s Story, The Cash in the Hat, and The Bean is not Green. For information on these books and more resources, click here.

Contact him at mitch@mitchanthony.com.

© 2011 Mitch Anthony