New Year. New Job.

As the new year gets underway, I will embrace a new job change. The excitement I feel for this new job reminds me of the excitement I had on my first day of school.

I remember my first day of grade school in September of 1970. That summer, my family moved from Bend, Oregon, to a little brown house in Terrebonne, Oregon, to be closer to my grandparents and their ranch.

After we settled into our new home (right across the street from my school), my sister and I explored the neighborhood and played on the jungle gym at the empty playground. As the summer ended, my imagination started to turn towards my first day of school. Who would I meet? What would I learn? My excitement grew day after day.

It became real for me when my parents took me school shopping. With my list in hand, we walked the department store aisle to find everything I would need for that first day of school: Crayons, erasers, pencils, paper, notebook, and Pee Chee folder. Then we stopped at a second-hand store on the way home for a new set of clothes for me to wear on that first day. My selection? A red blazer, a white shirt, and a clip-on striped tie. Don’t ask me why, but even early on, I suppose I wanted to set a fashion statement.

Every day when I would see those clothes in my closet and my school supplies on my dresser, my excitement would grow. I could not wait to see what first grade would be like.

I have the same level of excitement as I start a new job with a new set of responsibilities – Chief Marketing Officer for OnPoint Community Credit Union. All transitions like this come with lots of mixed emotions. There’s anticipation and, honestly, a little nervousness. What will my team be like? What new things will I learn? What exciting challenges lay ahead?

So, as I excitedly embrace this new opportunity, I think it’s important to also embrace the mixed emotions that come with it. And I find it equally valuable to take time and reflect on all the many “firsts” I’ve embraced throughout my life journey. Getting married. Becoming a father. Starting a business. Becoming a father-in-law.

These “firsts” have been rewarding and contributed to who I am today. Life is a fantastic journey and will be filled with plenty of first days. I hope you embrace them with joy. As for me, I’m going to see if I can find a red blazer and striped tie.