I'm turning 50 next week!
Fifty. I can't believe I'm turning 50! It always felt so far off.
But weirdly, I’m not dreading it. Actually, I’m kind of excited. Grateful. A bit in awe. And determined — I’m very determined that I haven’t peaked.
Initially, it felt like 50 was some kind of downhill slide. So this year, I’ve been actively doing things that scare me - like 50 minutes of stand-up comedy at the Nelson Fringe Festival (having never done it before). I’ve started boxing. I’ve picked up weights. My body’s stronger. I feel stronger. And for the first time in ages, it feels like I’m putting myself back on the list.
And I’m not just doing it for me.
Two of my three kids will leave home in 2025. That's been a huge jolt. I blinked and they grew up. But they need me differently now. Less in the day-to-day, more in how I live my life. What I model. What I chase. What I let go of. How I see life as a gift.
So I wrote a list. My first attempt was a ‘bucket list’ of things to complete before I turned 50.
But it didn’t resonate well. So I threw that out and started again. This time, I wrote refusals. Quiet promises to myself of things I am going to leave behind:
I refuse to give in to fear.
I refuse to live like the best bits are behind me.
I refuse to stay stuck in thinking that’s held me back.
I refuse to let apathy set the tone.
I refuse to live for myself.
I could go on, but you get the idea. It’s freeing. Instead of a midlife crisis, I’ve got a reset. A recalibration.
It has taken a big milestone for me to stop and make my list, but don't wait! At any point, you can ask yourself:
What are you done carrying?
What are you ready to say 'yes' to?
What needs to shift?
💛 And if you, too, need to put yourself back on the list, this here is your sign. Cheering you on. Katie xx 🎈 Small Reflection
Need a reset too? Try asking yourself:“What am I still carrying that I don’t want to take forward?” Stick it on the fridge and journal it.
⭐ Try This Challenge
Pick one small thing you’ve been putting off that matters to you. Do it this week.
