A Reflection by Tracey Woon
When I announced I was done with a regular, full time job come August 2020, i.e. retire, most people were sceptical. They couldn’t imagine someone like me, a Type A, driven, successful, energetic, go-getter … the list goes on … could “just happily give it all up’”.
Are you going to start a business, manage a fund, become an angel investor? And if not, you’d be done with this hiatus soon enough, they all speculated.
I knew, however, that I had made the absolutely right decision. It was a decision that took almost 10 years to materialise, a few false starts and, in the 24 months leading up to that fateful day in February 2020, a huge amount of soul searching, self actualisation, research and planning.
After all, this next phase could potentially be almost as long as my banking career. To not take time to plan and ensure that I had addressed every aspect of my mental, financial, social, emotional and physical needs would be irresponsible and reckless. It would cause me to end in total misery and regret.
And so I did. I read a ton of books, spoke to many who are close to me, in particular my children and hubby. They were able to help me reflect, charted my course, drew up my “to do” list, mocked up a weekly schedule, gave away much of my working wardrobe, decided on a ‘new’ look. And, if you know me, you would have said, “That’s so Tracey! She doesn’t shed that focus in addressing any endeavour, retirement included!”
Here’s the twist though.
Whilst many of my strengths have got me here, I have come to realise they need to be re-calibrated. For example, I don’t need to still check the time I take to walk 10km most mornings. I don’t need to stress if I didn’t work hard enough over the week and am not totally prepared for my piano lesson.
I learned to allow myself days where I stop to soak in the smell of jasmine along the red brick path, where walks are leisurely and with friends, and I look forward to piano lessons regardless.
It’s been 16 months and I am on a wonderful learning and discovery journey of aging well, and how, in this chapter, I want to live and grow richly, purposefully and on my terms.
I wake up everyday smiling to myself that I still dream of work every night to this day … and thinking, thank goodness, it’s just a dream!
Published by Tracey Woon
Tracey Woon was a career banker with more than 40 years of banking experience. Until her retirement in August 2020, she was Vice-Chairman of UBS AG’s Global Wealth Management (Asia Pacific).
