More Money

I think the natural tendancy is to lead with the carrot - letting people know how easy it is to sock away a modest amount and showing them the benefits of their future lifestyle.

This is an effective approach for many people. For some, fear (the stick) is a more powerful motivator.

I'm 32 also and it scares the hell out of me that for my 50th birthday, I'll get...20 years more work. Not 15-20 hours a week volunteering, but 40-50 hours a week in a cube under flourescent lighting trying to make The Man happy and hoping to duck the next layoff. If I beg hard enough, maybe I can get two weeks in the summer to get far, far away. Just enough to reinflate before The Man pounds me flat once again. Hoping to be able to take a few deep breaths between social security and senility.

I work with a lot of people in their 50s and 60s who didn't think this would be them. And it was. Ed McMahnon never knocked on the door with the $10M check.

Fear works. Don't feel bad using it to motivate people (or yourself) if you think it will be effective.