Live the story you want to tell
When my oldest son graduated high school, there was a major pivot in my life. Even though I still had two kids at home, I knew my life had changed forever. My kids at home were busy, I had just sold the business that I had been building for the past 10 years.
So, needless to say, I felt lost.
Transitions can be difficult. And a transition where you lose your identity (a mother and a business owner), can feel disorienting. Especially when you don’t know what’s next for your life.
I struggled for a solid year, unsure of what the future would look like for me. I went to therapy as a way to talk through my questions and learn to navigate the second half of my life.
I’m a natural optimist, so feelings of doubt and uncertainty troubled me a lot. And that’s when I decided to start working on my life in reverse. Seeing the end of my life (my own funeral if you will), and wondering what people could say about me. Would there even be anything interesting to say? Will I have lived a remarkable life (or a life worth remarking about! or will they just say “Well, she got through every season of Prison break in a 2 week times period). LOL What did I want my “interesting/remarkable life” to look like?
So, I started a bucket list of sorts that to me, would describe an interesting life. Here’s what’s on my list so far:
- Reach my goal weight. This was the first thing that had to happen, so I could get on with the rest of my life… and it did! It only took 6 months when I got really serious and honest about this. (here’s my story)
- Compete in a bikini/body building show! This is the #1 craziest thing I could think of. Even if I don’t do well in the bikini shows, I LOVE that I can say I did it. I love that people might whisper about me behind my back of how crazy I must be. I love that people actually DO remark to me and to other people that I’ve done this. I’d rather be crazy than boring!
- Get a masters degree– I LOVE education. I love certifications. I love degrees. I LOVE SCHOOL. So, yes, going for a graduate program (either in nutrition or business) had always been on my list. I thought I would do it while I was still raising kids, but I’m glad I waited. I lived by the mantra while raising kids: You can do EVERYTHING you want to do in life, just not all the same time!
- Run the Boston Marathon. That to ME is interesting, and I DID IT April of 2024.
- Pay off our mortgage with money from blogging! YES!! Did this in 2023.
But that’s where I’m stuck now. I want to add more! I want to have an EXHAUSTIVE bucket list. Here’s some interesting ideas:
- Save $1M in my brokerage account
- Own rental property
- Sell Business #2
- Run a 100 mile ultra marathon
- Hike on the Pacific crest trail
- Raft the Grand Canyon
- Create a viral cooking video
- Become a business mentor/coach
- Travel for a vacation race
- Take tennis lessons
- Become a small business investor
- Fund a scholarship
- Fly first class- Just once!! Haha. Wouldn’t this be epic??
- Visit all 50 states- or all the National Parks
- Hike the Tour du Mont Blanc
I’m definitely going to keep adding to this list, so stay tuned, and let me know some of your ideas.