goals for women over 50 – and how to find them
Introduction
There are so many stages to our lives. So many are met with excitement as we start new adventures and take on new challenges.
Women reaching 50 are often apprehensive and sad.
Why?
We have so many wonderful things to look forward to at this stage of our lives!
Life looks so different now.
Let’s face it, so much of our lives have been spent meeting the demands of others. Spouses, children, bosses, parents, and friends are the first few that come to mind.
What happens when those responsibilities are no longer the main focus of our lives?
That is when women over 50 need new goals.
We Reach a Crossroads
At this point in our lives, we are often left wondering, “What’s next?”
Kids are grown and becoming independent. They don’t need us in the same ways they once did.
We are looking retirement square in the face. Many of us have made our jobs an integral part of our identity and self-worth.
Many of us are starting to care for an older parent. While this may become our focus, it is a different type of caregiving than raising children. Parents, too, want to remain independent.
Why Goals Matter
The things we work toward change over time.
Our goals in the past may have looked something like getting an education, building a career, buying a home, or meeting the person we were meant to spend our lives with.
Now that we are over 50, many of those goals have already been met.
So now what?
We create new goals. Goals that reflect our current priorities, interests, and dreams.
Having goals gives us purpose, a path forward, and something to look forward to.
My goal at the moment is to finish runDisney’s Dopey Challenge. When I get up in the morning, I know I have a run or workout waiting for me. Training has become an important part of my daily life.
Goals Don’t Have to Be Huge
But goals don’t have to be Dopey-sized!
Your over-50 goal could be something much smaller.
Maybe your goal is to travel. Then the first step might simply be getting your passport.
You can have health goals. You know, all those things we didn’t focus on while our kids were growing up.
Maybe you want to learn a new skill. Have you always wanted to take better photos? Sign up for a photography class.
Goals can be small, and goals can be big.
What they need to be is focused on YOU.
This is your time to shine.
What New Goals Can Do For Us
Here’s the funny thing about goals. Even if you don’t reach them right away, you’re changing along the way.
They help build confidence.
During my first solo half-marathon, I kept telling myself, “I can do hard things.”
That 13.1 miles taught me something important. Many of the things I thought were impossible weren’t impossible at all. I simply hadn’t given myself the chance to try.
Reaching for goals can also create new opportunities.
Look at this blog. It started because I had goals of doing runDisney and running a marathon. It has led me down a path of growth, new experiences, and meeting so many wonderful people.
Goals bring excitement into our lives. Not just when we finally reach them, but throughout the entire journey.
They remind us that we are still capable of so much, even after 50.
Some of My Current Goals
I am such a list-oriented person. Personality quirk there.
At the moment my list is not especially long, but I find that the more I write these goals down—whether on paper or in my online planner—the closer I get to achieving them.
- Complete the runDisney Dopey Challenge
- Grow Life with Judi
- Become an accountability coach
- Prepare for retirement and our final cross-country move
Some of those may surprise you.
Making this list helps me see where I should focus my energy. It helps me avoid getting sidetracked by side quests.
Because that really is a thing, ya know?
Questions to Ask Yourself
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you start creating your own list of goals:
- What have I always wanted to try?
- What would make me excited to get out of bed?
- What would I regret not doing?
- What is one thing I could start this month?
Conclusion
Just because we are over 50 does not mean our lives are over.
For many of us, our lives are truly just beginning.
We are still learning. We are still growing.
Find yourself a purpose and create a plan to move toward it.
I challenge you to choose one goal today. Something that inspires you. Something that excites you.
Then sit down and make a plan to make it happen.