Effective July 7, I will take an extended nine-week vacation and transition from working full time to retirement on September 14.
I am following Yogi Berra’s advice: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
So, what lies ahead? What will this transition look like? In the first sentence above, I used a lot of words. Let’s see what they imply.
Vacation:
NOUN - an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in traveling. British term holiday.
THOUGHTS – I’ve been working professionally for over 41 years. It has been rare that I’ve been away from work for more than a week at a time, certainly not more than two weeks. Even when I was on vacation, there were things at work to check on and keep up with. And even before my first full-time professional role, I was busy with various jobs and commitments like school. But in July, I will start a nine-week vacation. It sounds great, but I’m sure it will be an adjustment. I wake up very early without an alarm on most days, including weekends. Habits like that don’t change quickly or even easily. I am used to interacting with a lot of people in a professional setting. Now I will need to build a new community of connections outside of that comfortable zone. What other adjustments will I need to make? What surprises are in store?
Transition:
NOUN – the process or period of changing from one state to another.
VERB – undergo a process or period of change.
THOUGHTS – I’ve heard a range of comments from people who have retired – all the way from “I retired too soon, and I am bored” to “I can’t believe I waited so long! This is great!”. I know transitioning from full-time work to retirement will have some challenges. My approach is to take a full 12-18 months for the transition expecting there will be some days/weeks that I have some doubts about whether it was the right thing to do.
Retirement:
NOUN – the action or fact of leaving one’s job and ceasing to work.
THOUGHTS - I don’t intend to cease working entirely, so I’m not sure retirement (as defined here) is exactly what lies ahead. I do intend to refocus on a different style/pace of work, and I don’t plan to start a new full-time job. I will consider whether I want to take a different job at some point in the future, but for now I am content to leave my job at ConocoPhillips and cease working (at ConocoPhillips). Bob Buford has written a book called “Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance”. His core message is that you need a life purpose after retirement to keep you engaged and active. I intend to diligently make sure I have a clear and compelling life purpose to focus my days.
I am planning to transition or go through a period of change. Will it be a relatively smooth and uneventful transition or will it be more radical like a metamorphosis. Will I be the same person just not working full time? That is the question I hope to answer for the next 12-18 months. In some ways it will be a bit like transplanting a plant. I need to re-establish my root system and get planted in a new location with new plans and new surroundings. Here’s to healthy transitions, vacations, retirements, and transplants.
As I look back over 41 years and get ready for the coming TRANSITION, I am:
THANKFUL (grateful for the opportunities and leaders that have challenged me)
READY (prepared for the transition)
APPRECIATIVE (realizing that many people have contributed to my journey and success)
NERVOUS (not sure what to expect)
SATISFIED (content with the results of the last 41 years)
INTROSPECTIVE (ready to learn more about myself and what drives/motives me)
THOUGHTFUL (pondering what lies ahead and eager to explore the possibilities)
INSPIRED (encouraged by the opportunity to give back to others in a significant way)
OPTIMISTIC (looking forward with hope)
NOSTALGIC (remembering happy memories and glossing over the struggles)
To all of you that have contributed to the journey, thank you. I am indeed grateful and blessed.
Mike Huff
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