Retirement Coaching Insights: Working In Your Third Act?
Scroll through any retirement Facebook group and you’ll see the same question come up again and again: One group I’m a member of had over 400 responses to the question:
“Is anyone working part-time after retirement just to help ends meet?”
The responses are fast, honest, and revealing. Three themes emerged.
Some people say:
“I have to.”
“Pension isn’t enough.”
“If I didn’t work, I wouldn’t eat.”
Others say:
“I love it.”
“It keeps me sane.”
“It pays for travel and fun.”
And a third group says “Nope. I’m done.”
At first glance, it looks like a simple question about money. It’s not. It’s a window into how retirement is actually being lived—and where it’s breaking down.
What’s Really Going On
There are five patterns in the data I analyzed:
Retirement is no longer a clean exit
There are three very different retirement realities
Healthcare is the hidden driver
Flexibility matters more than income
Identity doesn’t retire easily
Retirement is no longer a clean exit
For many people, retirement isn’t a stop. It’s a shift.
2–3 days a week
Seasonal work
Consulting or “as needed” roles
Gig work or small businesses
This isn’t accidental. It’s the new normal.
There are three very different retirement realities
Survival Mode
Working because you have to.
Social Security isn’t enough
Savings were depleted
Healthcare costs are crushing
Inflation is relentless
The tone here is heavy: “I’ll work as long as I’m able.”
Supplement Mode
Working to support lifestyle.
Travel
Dining out
Extra cushion
Covering rising costs
This group has more choice. Work is helpful, not essential.
Purpose Mode
Working because it adds to life.
Structure
Social connection
Mental stimulation
A reason to get out of the house
Comments like “it keeps me among humans” and “it keeps me sane” show something deeper: Retirement is not just a financial transition. It’s a human one.
Healthcare is the hidden driver
This one jumps off the page. People are working:
To bridge the gap to Medicare
To keep employer-sponsored insurance
To afford medications
For many, it’s not optional. It’s strategic survival.
Flexibility matters more than income
The most appealing jobs aren’t the highest paying. They are:
10–20 hours a week
“Call me if you need me” roles
Seasonal or school-based schedules
Work you can say yes or no to
This is a huge insight: People don’t want more work. They want more control.
Identity doesn’t retire easily
A surprising number of people go back to what they already know:
Teachers substitute
Nurses go PRN (as needed)
Tradespeople take small jobs
Former employees consult
Why?
Because competence feels good. And identity doesn’t just switch off at 65.
The Emotional Undercurrent
Beneath the practical responses is something more raw:
Anxiety about money running out
Frustration with rising costs
Regret about past decisions
Fear of aging out of the ability to work
Exhaustion after a lifetime of effort
And right alongside that:
Joy in small, meaningful work
Pride in staying active
Gratitude for flexibility
Fulfillment in connection and contribution
Retirement, it turns out, is emotionally complex.
A Retirement by Design Interpretation
Retirement by design refers to a conscious process for designing your third act, versus simply settling. This is exactly why I use the phrase:
Retirement is not a finish line. It’s a redesign.
What these responses show is not failure. They show what happens when retirement is approached by default instead of by design.
Design Principle #1: Work doesn’t have to end—it has to evolve
The question is not: “Will I work in retirement?”
The better question is: “What role does work play in the life I want now?”
Income?
Structure?
Purpose?
Social connection?
When you answer that intentionally, work becomes a tool—not a burden.
Design Principle #2: Financial design and life design must be integrated
Too many people treat retirement as a math problem. It’s not. It’s math plus:
energy
health
relationships
meaning
lifestyle
Working part-time isn’t the issue. Unplanned dependence on it is.
Design Principle #3: Build flexibility before you need it
The people who seem most at peace are those who have options:
consulting
part-time roles
multiple income streams
skills they can still use
They’re not asking, “Can I find a job?”
They’re deciding, “Do I want to do this?”
That’s a very different place to stand.
Design Principle #4: Don’t underestimate the human side of retirement
One of the strongest signals in these responses: People don’t just miss income.
They miss
rhythm
relevance
interaction
feeling useful
If you don’t design for that, you’ll end up solving it accidentally—with a job.
The Bottom Line
Working in retirement is not the problem. Working without intention is:
Some people are working because they have to.
Some because they want to.
Some because they don’t yet know how else to live this next chapter.
That’s the opportunity. Because when you step back and design it, you can create a version of retirement where:
work is optional
income is intentional
time is protected
and your days actually feel the way you want them to feel
That’s Retirement by Design.
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Dr. Kevin Nourse is a certified retirement coach helping people flourish in retirement. He founded Nourse Leadership Strategies, a coaching firm based in Southern California. Contact him at 760.237.0045 or by clicking here.
(C) Kevin Nourse, 2026
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