Preparing for a New Chapter at 60

In a couple of weeks time, I turn 60.

As a gift to myself, I am taking time out in the run up to my birthday for two things:

First, time out so I feel fuelled up and ready to start a new decade and my next chapter. I am going to wake up each day and see what I feel like doing. No plans. Nothing scheduled. Nothing fancy. Keeping it simple. Just being, not doing.

We rarely have this kind of space in our day-to-day lives. We spend most of our lives with our days pre-scheduled before they even begin. To wake up and ask, what do I feel like today, feels like a real luxury.

Which brings me to the second thing I will be using the next two weeks for.

Preparing for my next chapter.

I am a big believer that life happens in chapters. And it is up to us to write each one because the life you want doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by designing it and making change happen. 

So, over the next two weeks, using my Design it. Build it. Live it process, I will be writing my next chapter and getting ready to start making it happen as I move into a new decade.

My starting point is creating a new definition of success for this next chapter. One based on my values, what matters most to me now, and what would feel fulfilling and meaningful. I will turn that into a vision of what I want my life to be next.

Once that is done, I will look at the gap between where I am and what I want to create. From there, I will turn that into a simple plan and identify the changes needed to bring that vision to life.

I see making time to prepare for a new chapter the same as building a house. The house will only ever be as solid as the foundations it is built on. Taking the time to put those foundations in place matters.

That is what I am doing over the next two weeks. Putting the foundations in place. Then, after my birthday, it is time to start building.

If you’re thinking about making changes in your life, start with the foundations that will support you. A good starting point is to create your own definition of success and identify the foundations you need to put in place to build the life you want.