I have no intention of retiring. None whatsoever. Even though I have spotted a few grey hairs now (how come you never spot them unit they are fully grown – at full length?)
I’m not saying that because I’m worried about my pension fund or keeping a certain salary coming in to protect my lifestyle. Working and being active is my lifestyle.
I love working – there I’ve said it.
I like helping companies grow, to be different, to achieve success more often and reach their potential. It’s what I’ve done for 30 years as an employee, a manager, a director and a business owner.
It’s a bit like being a collector. Over the years you acquire things and you become knowledgeable. You can spot a fake, you can spot a treasure, and you can spot a fad and a trend. You become experienced, because you have experience.
And one thing that’s happening to me is that I want to carry on using that experience to help others, but I don’t want to carry on with all the day-to-day responsibilities, the travel, the conference calls over multiple time zones and having to delegate the fun stuff and grind away at the reporting stuff.
Your brain loses it
And that’s another reason why I don’t want to plan retirement. It’s like a message to your body to start preparing to stop.
I went to a Vistage open day recently and Vistage CEO, Steve Gilroy said: "If you stop reading, if you stop doing stuff, you're telling your brain ‘I'm packing up now.’ And your brain says ‘Do you know what? I'll help you. I'll close all your systems down.”
And then you end up dead. Mentally and/or physically. I think retirement works in the same way.
So I’m not stopping. I’m starting.
I’ve agreed with myself not to stop, but to start doing something else.
And by the way please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying. I’m only 48 years old. And as I’m just about to start planning the longest stint I’ve ever done at any job I want to get it right.
Where can I get everything I love doing, but without all the crap that goes with it?
So I’ve decided to become a Vistage Chair. Not right now, but I’m going to work towards it. Plan to have the experience and the right skills. Start to plan what I do, just the way that I plan the growth of my business or anything else in life.
I reckon maybe another 3-5 years. That’s what I’m thinking, although talking to Lorna I understand they are recruiting.
And I see it as a positive step too. I’m really looking forward to it.
Coaching, using my experiences (good and bad) and helping others achieve their best. Staying in the game. Keeping up reading (I heard you Steve), learning, changing, meeting new people and pushing myself to keep achieving more with new challenges.
Tell me what you think. I’m I mad, or is this a plan worth pursuing?
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