HOW TO REACH 40 EPIC LIFE GOALS BEFORE YOU TURN 40

40 is the new 21

It turns out…40 is the new 21 with a twist of maturity and wisdom. Apparently when we are on the verge of 40, we start to reflect and think about all the things we want to accomplish in a lifetime. One of those accomplishments is often seeing the world and gaining a broader view of how we fit into it. I’ve been super fortunate to have 3 of my best friends and family members turn the big 4-0 before me. That means three epic birthday trips in the past few years. I didn’t realize 40 was something I needed to create a travel budget for…but it is…and it is so worth it. My 40th is 3.11.21…and I can’t wait as I view every birthday as a blessing.

Travel bug

It started a few years back with my cousin Jessica turning 40 and a wild girls trip to Vegas. It was a little more tame for me because I was very pregnant with my little Victoria…but when important people in your life have a milestone, you show up. You show up for them, you show up for you…and you show up for your relationship. This was a chance for a single mama of 3 to get away and have a little me time poolside.

My hubs Andy was next. His trip was all about being the awesome dad that he is, while seeing something he’d always wanted to see, the Olympic Peninsula and the Hall of Mosses. The picture of me and all the luggage…that’s this family trip at the Seattle airport, 2 car seats, pack & play and all. Andy got the travel bug when he took his first international flight at age 20 to Indonesia. Since then, he knew he wanted to show his kids the world someday. A big reason we waited until later in life to have kids…financial stability. Our oldest, Natalya, got her first passport stamp (Mexico) when she was 2. It is the cutest little passport photo ever, complete with pigtails…and to see her rolling her little owl bag filled with toys and lollipops through the airport…aww..my heart melts just thinking about it.

My sister’s 40th came in the fall of 2019. This is a trip I’ll never forget. For Lori it was a chance to see more of Europe via car and train, to cover ourselves in the healing sands of the Baltic region and to soak in the healing waters of the Adriatic Sea. Rejuvenation + Adventure had us trekking from Germany to Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Italy. We (Lori, our friend Stephanie and I) walked 60+ miles on this trip. We were up in the 6, 7 or 8 o’clock hours most days to see and experience things like the history of Dubrovnik, walking the walled city where Game of Thrones was filmed, eating an octopus sandwich, enjoying the peace of a Brac Island sunset, floating so easily in the salt-dense Adriatic Sea on Zlatani Rat Beach, feeling the history and the gravity of the Roman Empire while standing in an ancient colosseum…and finally ending up in Venice and starting to understand a very different way of life filled with gondolas and water taxis to take you to the airport. For me, this was my first trip to Europe. It was a chance to reflect on my life and my upcoming 40th birthday. What will the future hold? I don’t know…but I do know it has pushed me to organize my thoughts and my priorities…and I’m excited to share my 40 before 40 Downloadable Milestone Template with you!

How to reach epic life goals at any age: downloadable milestone templates

This…my friend…I’ve created for you. My Downloadable Milestone Templates are a quick-start guide to living your best life…at any age. Seriously, there are 2 before 2 templates all the way up to 100 before 100. Natalya’s 5 before 5 goal was to go to 5 water parks…and guess what? We did it! Some of my personal goals may be lofty, but that’s the fun part…I get to figure out how to accomplish them. I didn’t think I would ever be a stay at home mom…but guess what? My husband and I figured out how to make it happen. What did I think I would accomplish by 40, what do I still hope to accomplish by 40 and beyond? I’ve broken it down to 4 main categories to help simplify my 40 milestone goals…and I’ve created these Downloadable Milestone Templates just for you. As I accomplish a milestone, I cross it off the list (gray). Check in on my progress, or better yet, start your own milestone tracker. The goal is to get out of the daily grind and into more intentional living.

mid-life

I never understood the significance of 40 until a few years ago. Is it significant because 40 is mid-life? Some of us may consider 80 to be a long life, but for me, I’m counting on amazing family genetics + healthy living to get me to a happy + healthy…one-double-zero…so I can be here with my kids, my husband, my siblings and their families as long as I possibly can. Even at 50, I plan to think of mid-life as getting to live half of my life still. Age…it’s a gift. So are the people we get to spend our life with. I also feel 40 is significant for me because I have two kids now to help me measure just how precious my time here is.

perspective

Before kids, I didn’t think about age the same way. I didn’t think about becoming a grandma, or perhaps never becoming a great grandmother due to our choice to have kids later in life. My kids are incredibly lucky to have a great grandmother in their lives, and someday, I’d like the opportunity to at least become a grandmother if all the cards fall into place. My grandma Beth is 94 and still lives by herself. She’s been right by my side for several of my milestone birthdays. I got married in Costa Rica when I was 29. The next day I turned 30. Grandma Beth, at age 86, didn’t think twice before hopping on the zip line to fly through the Central American canopy while looking down upon alligators. I spent my 21st birthday week with my grandma playing the nickel machines in Black Hawk, Colorado. She even took me on my first ever flight (to Oregon) when I was on the verge of adulthood in high school. She was also one of the first to see my children in the hospital during their birth weeks…along with my mom and dad and Andy’s parents. For me, the important people in my life and the experiences we get to have together help measure time. Forty will soon be a blessing for me, and I can’t wait for an epic travel experience with some of my favorite people on this earth (details to come.)

daily grind to intentional living

At age 38, after years of immersing myself deep into the daily grind and hustle of the professional world…one day, I woke up and had a realization that changed me. Boom…in the flash of a career-tracked minute…I was a few years off from 40, in a manager position at my full-time job, plus my part time TV hosting job…and trying to balance life with two busy kids. I realized I hadn’t taken enough time to stop and smell the roses, to really think about the things I want to accomplish in my lifetime. I’ve shifted my focus to the things I’m most passionate about, the things that make me smile…and I’m smiling a lot more these days. I’m a SAHM + TV Host and I couldn’t be happier. Yes, I get stressed out at times being an almost full time mommy. It is the hardest job I’ve ever had, but the rewards pay off 10-fold.

SHIFT FOCUS

I’m emerging with a new sense of purpose as a mom, wife, friend and community member. For me, the shifted focus looks like this: clearing my schedule for more family time, one on one time with my girls, community time…and choosing not to be mentally on call 24/7 for a variety of working-world issues that can come up at any time. One key is being 100% present in whatever you are doing. *Honesty alert – this has been the hardest part for me.

Whether you are a SAHM ( or dad) or you’re full steam ahead on your career path, I believe anyone can live life at a more enjoyable and more intentional pace if you take the time to shift your focus and create new mindsets and habits. My goal is to provide you an easy template to shift from the daily grind, to intentional living. *warning – it won’t happen overnight. Good luck…and enjoy every minute. You deserve this life. Make the most of it…and show up for yourself.