60+ Reflections on a milestone birthday

by | Turning 60

2 weeks on from my birthday and I’m surprised how much I’m thinking about my age.

I wonder if other people feel the same when they reach a milestone, although I can’t remember having these feelings at 40 or 50.
Whilst still active I am noticing changes. Here are some of my 60+ Reflections:

I no longer want to work as flat out as I have done and I’m trying to be smarter, to stop the distractions. I don’t want to be watching TV as I check emails anymore. 20 years ago, when I first set up my own business, I pretty much worked every waking hour getting a good website, getting clear on what I could offer. Now I want focused time with a clear break between work and non-work with more time just to be.

Whilst I do weight training at the gym, I’m now just doing them 3 times a week, I feel my body needs a day in between to recover from lifting quite heavy weights. I used to be fine going 6 times a week. This may be one of the reasons I’m struggling to keep my weight down. On the other days, I’m going walking but this isn’t having the same impact on my body especially as often I walk on the flat.

I am getting some pains in my hand. I’ve been seeing a physio and consciously do my exercises 3 times a day as instructed, but I still feel a pain around the base of my thumb. I dropped biology before O levels so no idea of the names of bones!
But it’s not all negative! My 60+ Reflections include:

I’m still alive. So many people never got to reach this age and I’m still overall healthy. I’m also reading the register section of The Times. I never used to do this; I’m interested in why people die but also what they did. There are some fascinating lives to read about.

I’m thinking of my legacy. I’ve written books, I have 2 children, but thinking wider. As I age, I want to write more on ageing and to be a positive role model. I truly love the work I do with my clients in their prime. The 50+ newsletter and website are part of this, but maybe I also need to run weekend events? What do you think?

I’m more confident and wiser I know much more and can use this knowledge carefully. I don’t always have to share what I know!

I’m still open to the new. My last blog post discussed how I’m going to get space for something new as a consultancy assignment is coming to an end. I still want to learn more and to use my strengths in different ways – so this is exciting, to think about what I can do on a freelance basis to add to my portfolio life.

60 moving forward on my terms. This is my 6th entry since turning 60 and these posts are my thoughts on moving on in my life, making reflections and using this on my self-discovery. If this resonates with you, or you want to ask a question feel free to comment, I’d love to hear from you and will respond on here on my Facebook page.

 

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I’d love to send you a series of articles to get you thinking of your wider life. You will also receive my mid-week 50+ update and the Amazing People newsletter.
Denise Taylor

Chief Inspiration Officer, The 50 Plus Coach.