A few months ago I turned 49 years old. A few weeks before that I had a little talk with myself and asked myself an important question: Do I want the next 30, 40, 50 years to be like the past 25 years?
The answer was no.
It’s not that my life hasn’t been good, it has, I just haven’t accomplished the things I’ve been dreaming about for the past 25 years and it’s time for that to change. So, I made a list of 5 things to start/accomplish before I turn 50.
Relationships
I think relationships are one of the most important parts of life. I’m pretty good about making sure I keep in touch with people (setting reminders on my phone are a great help). I call, email, text, comment on social media, hand write letters… I think about the best way to contact the person and whether it’s a quick text to say “Hi” or a 500-word email, I make sure I reach out every month.
And although all the above ways are great ways - and sometimes the only way- to keep in touch with people, I want to take things a step further. I want face to face interactions with my family and friends. I want to hike, go to a festival, have lunch, chat over tea or play a board game…whatever we decide to do, just do it together.
My plan: When I plan to do something I think a friend or family member would like to do too, I’ll call them up or shoot them a text asking if they want to join me. Sometimes the answer will be they'd love to, sometimes they'll say they can't, but I don't want to miss out on an opportunity because I didn't ask. I'll also make plans in advance for upcoming events. People are busy so asking ahead of time may bring about more yes responses than no responses.
Start an Art Career
I am happy to say that in the two and a half months since my birthday, I have started a web site where I sell my art https://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/rebecca-pappas-14536 and signed up for two Christmas art markets, scheduled a painting class, and have found two markets I can set up a booth at on a weekly basis.
I am thrilled and a little surprised at how smoothly and quickly it is coming together. I spent a lot of years planning and not doing. I'm pretty excited about how things are moving along.
My plan (moving forward): Connect with people through my art. Create a routine that will allow me to continue to create art and continue to learn and explore.
Lose the Excess Weight
Ugh. I mean, ugh! This one is decades in the making. BUT I can do this and having that attitude is what will help me succeed.
I know a lot of people struggle with this and there is no one fix for everyone, so if you’re dealing with this too, do what is best for you, what works for you. For decades I have tried numerous diets and the ones that did work were short lived. I am done with diets. First, they’re temporary and that is part of the problem. Second, they aren’t a good fit for me.
Will this be easy? Absolutely not. But I don’t want to spend the rest of my life overweight. I’m not looking for perfection or to be the weight the charts say I should be. I want to be the weight I’m comfortable in.
My Plan: Eat only when I’m hungry. If I want to eat and I’m not really hungry, ask myself questions to figure out what is making me want to eat and then deal with that, without using food for comfort. Exercise a minimum of 20 minutes 5 days a week. I don’t care what the exercise is, I just need to be more active. I love being outdoors so I know walking/hiking will be part of that. And when I have a setback meal or day where I give in and eat that bag of chips or sleeve of cookies, then I will get back on track immediately. Self-talk is going to be a huge factor in success.
Pay Off My Debt
I have been debt free and I have had debt. I prefer debt free, but sometimes life costs money I don’t have and the debt piles up. I’d like to get back to being debt free. It will take time and it is a test in patience but it's doable and it’s worth it.
My Plan: First, stop using the credit card! But I also need to find ways to put more than just the minimum payment toward the debt and selling my art and teaching art classes will definitely help with this. I will also put whatever I can in my savings on a regular basis, whether that’s $5 or $50, just something.
Declutter and Organize My Home
I have been working on this on and off for years but I’m ready to be finished with the initial stage. By that I mean get it to the point of maintenance – decluttering and organizing is an ongoing process.
Something I have realized during my decluttering journey is that the less I have the more I enjoy. I can see the things I really love because there isn’t a mess or multiple objects surrounding them. There’s less to clean up. I feel more relaxed and less weighed down. I spend less money. My home is cozier. I feel better.
My Plan: I'm decluttering a couple of ways; take a day and completely declutter and organize the room or do one little space at a time in the room until it's done. I think it really depends on how I feel and the room itself. The living room is basically done and in the maintenance phase so that could be a one-day job. The office/art studio is a 2-3 day job.
I'm looking forward to this journey. My birthday is in July so next year on my birthday I will create a special post on the success of my 5 Before 50.
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