When Is it Time?

What factors determine the right time to retire?  For many, it’s a simple mathematical question: “What day will my finances support retirement?” For others, who, perhaps, define themselves by their jobs, it’s more difficult—giving up your identity can be difficult and traumatic; these people often retire only when they have to, because of pressure from a spouse or a health condition. Some individuals are forced out of their jobs because of a discriminatory attitude about senior employees or the erroneous belief in a reverse correlation between age and productivity. And then there are the others who simply enjoy their work immensely and will never retire, such as both of my octogenarian parents. 

For most, I imagine, it’s a combination of factors. 

I never wanted to work at one job forever. I haven’t defined myself by my profession, nor wanted to have a job that is my life; instead, I always wanted a job that allowed me to have a life. So how did I know that it was time for me to retire from Cornell University? As I said to ACUPA Chair Jen Rogers, it was a spiritual, financial, professional, and cosmic convergence of occurrences.

First to arrive was the unavoidable realization that I am getting older. I don’t have to describe how this happens, but it happens to almost everyone, at one time or another. (For me, it was around my sixtieth birthday—too many candles!) Then, about nine months ago, my office got reorganized; this is a good thing, because Cornell finally has a Compliance Office, within which the University Policy Office will live. But it’s another adjustment for me, and meant my sixth boss in less than six years. Additionally, it looks as though the policy director function will probably change in a way that makes my role as a thought leader somewhat obsolete, putting the University Policy Office more squarely into the category of project management. (My brain keeps replaying that unforgettable scene from The Twilight Zone: “You are obsolete!”) This is, to be sure, a more current approach to centralized policy, and I’m not sure I would have been able to muster the passion for my endeavors that drives my professional success and personal happiness.

Then, on October 13, I received a bulk email from the local real estate board, (of which I am still a member from my days as a real estate broker), announcing the resignation of the current executive director. This is a job I had coveted since I first got my real estate license, many years ago. The board was looking for a replacement. I thought it might be kismet, so I cobbled together a cover letter and a resume, and applied the next day. I didn’t expect anything, but I was called for an interview the next week. I got the job.

Because of life and family events, as well as the extreme political and physical climates, in the past three months my feelings have ranged from fear to exuberance, sadness back to fear, anger to excitement, and everything in between. This figured in considerably to over a week of soul searching, after which I decided to turn the “possibles” into “definites” by accepting the offer last Thursday. 

This chapter of the story has a happy ending, all in all. I think I will miss the policy work here at the university, but there are myriad positives: I will continue my membership in ACUPA in the category Retired from Education; my new office will be just across the street from my current one; I will be going back to the more public life I enjoyed so much as a Realtor and, before that, restaurateur and retailer; and I have a brand new personal and professional challenge that will utilize the skills I have built here at Cornell. This has been a very rewarding stretch of life, and I can only hope that the next one is even half as fulfilling.

Have you thought about retiring? Does it scare you, or feel strange to think about?  If you have thought about it, I hope you are able to come up with a plan that fits your dreams and provides great satisfaction.