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.

Fifty minutes live stand up - my personal challenge to say, "I'm old, but I ain't dead yet!"

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.