Turning 60

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Ten years ago I said, “When I’m 60 I will stop chemically coloring my hair and let it go naturally gray.” This week I turned 60. Now that the day is here, I’ve decided to hold out for another decade. Why not? 

Nothing is different between my last day of being 59 and the first day at 60, except for being one day older. While this is true, without much thought, it’s easy to let one year flow into the next. Before I know it, I’ll look back and ask, “Where did the time go?”

So that this doesn’t happen, authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath, in their book The Power of Moments, encourage us to use naturally defining moments to “recognize where the prose of life needs punctuation.” By pronouncing 60 a defining moment, I’m bringing shape to time. (Click here to read about a Midlife Whoa!)

With this mindset, the past few months I’ve asked, “What do I want for my 60-year-old self?” I’ve considered my level of life satisfaction in several domains, including relationships, health and wellness, personal and spiritual growth, physical environment, and fun and recreation. I’m asking, “Are there mistakes I’m making now that will keep me from being who I want to be ten years from now?”

The Heath authors write, “If we recognize how important these natural defining moments are, we can shape them—make them more memorable and meaningful.” That is my goal—to intentionally create a defining decade. Maybe then I’ll be ready to “go gray” at 70.

Copyright 2018. Patrice Jenkins. All Rights Reserved.