Back when I was 42, I wrote a list about all the things I was hoping to accomplish that year and the challenges that lay ahead. Little did I know that things wouldn’t get easier, but significantly more difficult. From college tuition payments, to mounting health care costs, to unexpected situations that have tested my resolve as a career woman, as a daughter and as a parent, as I’m entering the final year of my forties, I figured I’d give it a shot again and attempt stay true to my list!
49 Things to do When You’re 49…
49. Stop complaining about the opportunities that didn’t come your way or second guessing decisions you made in your past.
48. Make a list every day of things you want to accomplish that’s just for you!
47. Tell your family members you love them – every single day.
46. Reconnect with friends you know care as much about you as you do about them.
45. No longer chase after friends who always seem to be too busy to make time for you.
44. Start doing the things you used to love when you were 12 years old.
43. Travel more to places you keep saying you want to visit.
42. Step out of your comfort zone every single week.
41. Say “No” more.
40. Don’t let toxic people rent space in your head.
39. Volunteer for causes that feed your spirit and your mind.
38. Read more.
37. Write more.
36. Sing more.
35. Play more.
34. Drive to the airport and book a trip to somewhere you’ve never been before.
33. Get in your car, pick a destination and stay overnight in that city.
32. See more Broadway shows.
31.Go to more concerts like Phil Collins, Elton John, Hall & Oates, Chicago. Do you see a pattern – any group or artist popular in the 80s will fit the bill.
30. Get published in a major women’s magazine before all of them fold.
29. Go out dancing or sing karaoke with your girlfriends.
28. Keep yourself open to opportunities. You never know where your journey may lead if you open a new door.
27. Enroll in a creative writing course.
26. Connect with inspiring women whom you admire and respect.
25. Reconnect with your mentors or find new ones who can help guide you into the next decade.
24. Detach from social media at least 1X per week.
23. Exercise more – without being on your phone while you’re doing it.
22. Close the door on projects that are no longer working for you.
23.Write your next book.
20. Write a keynote speech and then pick a venue where you’d like to deliver it.
19. Align with colleagues who can help you grow and thrive.
18. Sleep more and don’t sleep with your phone next to your nightstand.
17. Walk your dog at least 2-3 times and be in the moment with your dog – not on a phone call with your friends.
16. Take an Paint and Sip art class.
15. Share your experiences with young people contemplating a career in your field.
14. Spend time with your parents and appreciate the time you have with them.
13. Support your kids but instill in them the confidence that they can become anything they want to be as long as they put the time and the work into it.
12. Don’t be discouraged by rejection.
11. Be grateful for the things you have.
10. Do not be envious that other people may seem to have more than you. If you’re happy, you have everything.
9. Tell the people who make you happy that they are so special to you. Nice people need to know they are truly appreciated.
8. Find your way back to you.
7. As you embark on your next decade, build a tribe with women and men who lift you up.
6. Don’t be afraid to apologize if you’ve screwed up.
5. Hug it out with the ones in your life who bring you pure joy.
4. No matter how busy you are, always make time for your loved ones and your pets.
3. Compliment perfect strangers and see how it changes their day.
2. Stop worrying about how you are going to make a living and just start living.
1.JUST DO IT!!!!!!!