By Laura Price

In late 2021, as the pandemic restrictions were easing and after decades of dedication and hard work as a Partner in our firm, my time came to its expected and inevitable conclusion.  My mandatory retirement date had arrived.  The reality of this event hit me in ways I did not anticipate, although I had known it would be time to create new chapters.  I faced this reality with mostly happiness but also a bit of unexpected apprehension.

The firm advised me that preparing for this transition was important, and I was provided numerous tools to help me manage the changes that would occur: post-employment financial matters, checklists of things I needed to consider once I was disengaged from the corporate environment (such as migrating contact information of business colleagues, both internal and external), and assistance with a post-employment resume and social media presence.  I took advantage of all the programs that were available and felt well prepared to meet the day with ease.  Given that the pandemic was about 18 months old at this point, I was ready to be done with working mostly by myself and talking to everyone predominantly through a computer screen.  I was ready to leave it all, take time to see how my days naturally unfolded and hope I’d see a clear path forward. Besides, I told myself, it was hard to do any next chapter planning anyway, because the business environment “post-pandemic” was so uncertain, and meeting with companies and professionals to discuss new opportunities felt premature as so many companies had no idea how business post-pandemic would fare.

What I failed to realize was how much of a mental impact it would have to not prepare for who I would be or what I would do once my long corporate career came to an end. In my last few months of employment, I performed my usual work duties but they no longer felt purposeful because everyone knew I was leaving soon.  A retired colleague told me to avoid jumping into anything; rather,  “clear space,” he said, “and see what develops once you have no commitments.”  This approach may work for some, but I found that difficult to do alone. And because meeting people at restaurants or coffee shops was still the exception rather than the norm in late 2021, I was unable to have that final coffee or lunch with those that I’d worked for and with every day.

When my last day arrived on a Friday, I was working at home (as usual), trying to catch the last bit of internal news before the corporate day ended and my email went dark.  Fortunately for me, I had some good friends who came into town for a weekend visit, and spending time with them distracted me from the shock of this immediate change in my life (at least until Monday morning rolled around).  I did not realize how important being connected to corporate email was to my mental and emotional sense of community—although I was warned about that from another colleague who retired before me.

So what happened after my exit date?  I was fortunate. Within a few weeks post-transition, I was asked to join a corporate board for a newly-formed company.  This was a blessing because it kept me engaged part time using my hard-earned skills and experience while allowing me the space to think about and explore other things that interested me.

I also signed up for a six-month virtual plant-based cooking class that included graded assignments and monthly virtual classes with a cohort.  It was a refreshing change of subject, but it also allowed me to stay connected in a structured environment that I had grown used to, gave me a community to learn with and a purpose to my endeavor.  In all honesty, it felt very indulgent to use my time this way.  I have since accepted that in this period of my life, it’s ok to try new things and they don’t need to lead anywhere specific. This chapter in my life SHOULD be different than my previous chapter.  I earned this time to explore.  After 25 years of climbing the corporate ladder and being goal and results oriented, it’s not easy to change your mindset; so I have learned to give myself some grace.

If I could rewind the last couple of years of my life in which my transition occurred, I would do things a little differently.  Here are my lessons learned…

Prepare for the Social and Emotional Shift

Looking back, I wish I had focused earlier on the social and emotional changes retirement would bring and how I would satisfy my needs after moving on. The first few months after ending a full time career bring a rollercoaster of emotions, including feeling unsteady and alone.  It seems great to have all the free time in the world when you are working furiously day to day, until you no longer have that place you held for so long, and no plan for what you will do next.  I quickly found those I had worked with would no longer have a reason to connect with me regularly, and that soon the topics that bonded us in conversations would become something I could not participate in.  But I didn’t plan for how I’d replace that. What I should have been doing during the months leading up to my transition date was taking this time for me, preparing for my next chapter before the current one would end.  It didn’t occur to me to close this chapter by asking for in person meetings to talk with colleagues about what might come next.  It is much easier to do while you still have easy access to others during the normal work week.

Redefine Your Identity Beyond Work

I also should have thought about what I wanted my identity to be after my long career.  How will I use my time after employment?  Do I want to continue to do what I enjoyed most about my career?  Do I want to build new skills and explore new facets of my personality that I had left in the background in my corporate position? This is the hard work of transition, and I had not realized this until after I had left the firm.  Everyone knows you are retiring.  Your colleagues and subordinates are positioning themselves to thrive after you are gone.  You need to do the same.  You’ve given them decades of effort and helped achieve success for the company and others, so it’s ok to focus on yourself before you leave.  It’s also the best time to talk to colleagues inside and outside your company.  Let them know you are leaving your position and ask them about what options might be available. Let them know you are open to new opportunities they may have or know about.  Explore while it’s easy to connect with them.  Once your corporate email and company position are gone, it’s much harder to do.

Ease Into the Next Chapter

Don’t assume that you’ll be in bliss immediately after you walk out the door on your last day.  The workplace keeps going for everyone else; only your situation has changed, and easing the abruptness of it before it occurs will ensure a smoother landing.  You can’t go from full speed to full stop without some backlash.  I was burned out from the pandemic and it was difficult for me to see the way forward given the business environment at that time, but I now realize that life will go on, people you worked with and for will still be forging ahead, so if you want to be part of something after your life changes, take the time to explore that in advance. Realize that you can always try something and if it’s not what you want, you can move on without the financial pressure you had while working full time.

Evaluate Your Support Network

Assess your non-work social network to see if it will sustain you post-transition.  Although I knew the email and internal websites that had provided me a connection to my life’s work for the last quarter of a century would be gone, I underestimated the importance of this medium in a world that was still mostly virtual.  Be prepared that this disconnection will feel isolating, and that it’s normal.  It will ease as time goes by, particularly if you have other avenues to replace it with.  About a year after my transition, one of my fellow board members suggested I join Athena Alliance to connect with other women who are seeking board roles or navigating career changes, and I’m grateful for the advice. Athena has provided me role models and counselors and access to content that makes the journey easier.  I will continue to shape my future as my interests and needs change, knowing that I can dive into activities I feel have meaning and purpose, and freely rejecting those that do not.  It’s liberating to have the ability to do this, although it took awhile to get to this point.

There’s life after work, and it’s brimming with opportunities to grow in ways I never imagined. I’m grateful for the experiences and lessons from my career, and I’m excited to see where this next phase of life takes me.

Have you experienced a major life transition, whether it’s retirement or something else? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below. What advice do you have for those who are about to embark on a similar journey?