I am often asked how I am enjoying retirement and with a less scheduled life, there is a lot of time to ruminate. Whether you are close or many years away, this life transition awaits us all. I certainly do not miss my long commute and hopeless struggle with the George Massey tunnel. Being away from work, I am more aware of the emotional and physical attrition that comes from being in a leadership role. I do miss the sense of fun, community and positive connections that came from working alongside young people and so many caring and dedicated colleagues. Our work forms a big part of our identity, our sense of belonging and purpose, and I now understand why some people choose to work longer or never really retire. I loved my role and appreciated the cognitive and social stimulation that work provided.
I was physically at work for 10 hours a day for decades, and it is not an exaggeration to say that I almost never sat down for an actual lunch break. This excludes the regular evening meetings, arts, athletics, graduation, and special events, and overnight and weekend experiences that all secondary schools offer, and good principals actively support. Once away from school, the challenges, troubles, and timelines of work were on my mind constantly. I know that good teachers work long days and spend many hours outside of class helping, sponsoring or coaching kids as well as preparing and marking. I also know that many people face much more complex and demanding careers, have shift work, are self-employed entrepreneurs, or are working more than one job to make ends meet. This knowledge is both humbling and helpful – I was fortunate to work in a great profession and I remain deeply appreciative of the time off, benefits and pension my work provided.
Advice to my younger self would include being clear on what your greater purpose is as this can get lost in the tsunami of day-to-day to-do tasks. You will become what you constantly think and talk about, so be sure to see the joy in your work and in your life. Appreciate and nurture positive people and relationships, and do not spend a lot of energy on the urgent, but less important. Do your best to live mindfully and do not take yourself or your work too seriously. You are not irreplaceable.
Ending a career is the start of a new stage in life and one that is closer to the end than the beginning. Mulling over pension options and you are obliged to consider your own mortality! After more than 45 years of having a job, I am still new to the rhythms of not working. I am learning to appreciate an unscheduled life and more time to be connected to my family and friends. I am reading more, traveling a bit, exercising regularly, including cycling, losing to my wife in pickleball, and playing a little more golf, alas, just as poorly. I am also choosing to spend more time with my dog and less time on social media. I still think about my purpose and wonder how I can contribute positively, and I imagine this will always be the case.
Cheers!
p.s. our daughter and son-in-law are expecting a baby in November. I am looking forward to an exciting new role as a grandpa, and I have been working on my Cookie Monster voice. 👶🏼
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