When I started 180 Days to 60 on July 17, I had a plan. Of course I did. I am, after all, Planning to Be Happy.
I had six months in front of me and a list of things I wanted to work on before turning 60: better food, better skin, better hair, better habits, a stronger body, healthier finances, more intention, more adventure, more peace.
And ultimately, a stronger, happier me.
I wanted to walk into my 60th birthday feeling like I had become the woman I had promised myself I would be.
Now, a little more than two months into this journey, I’m realizing something.
Maybe I don’t have to wait until January 17 to meet her. Maybe I’m already becoming her.
The Plan Was Never Perfection
One of the things that I wanted clarity about, at the beginning of this project was that these 180 days would be about consistency, not perfection.
It sounded good when I wrote it. Now I’m actually learning what it means.
Some days I sprint. Some days I lift. Some mornings begin exactly the way I want them to: stretch, lymphatic jumps, a glass of water, morning routines, makeup, getting dressed and writing down my three goals for the day.
Nothing complicated. Just the little things that help me start the day feeling like myself.
Other days don’t look anything like the plan. Things I thought I would have accomplished by now that are still sitting on the list. Days when work took over, when I was tired, when life happened, or when I simply didn’t feel like doing everything, I had decided the “new me” was supposed to do.
And I’ve kept going anyway. I’m beginning to think that maybe that’s the whole point.
I’m Paying More Attention to the Ordinary Days
When you’re approaching a milestone birthday, it’s easy to focus on the big things.
The birthday.
The trip.
The party.
The number.
The before-and-after.
But most of these 180 days aren’t going to be big days. They’re going to be Tuesdays.
They’re going to be coffee in the morning, answering emails, putting on an outfit I love, going for a walk, making dinner, doing my skincare, talking to someone I love, writing something down before I forget it and going to bed knowing tomorrow I get another chance.
And lately I’ve been thinking about how much of a life is actually made there. In the ordinary days.
I don’t want to rush through them just because I’m waiting for January 17.
Taking Care of Myself Looks Different Now
At this point in my life, taking care of myself isn’t about trying to look certain way. That was never the goal of this project.
I don’t want to look backward. I want to feel good moving forward.
I want to be strong.
I want to take care of my skin and my body.
I want to eat in a way that makes me feel good.
I want to move.
I want to dress up even when there isn’t somewhere important to go.
I want to keep learning.
I want to protect my peace.
I want to make room for adventure.
I want to take care of my finances and create more possibilities for myself.
I want to build Planning to Be Happy into something meaningful.
And yes, I still want great hair and my best smile.
Some things are non-negotiable.
Things I Wish I Had Known Before This Chapter
I’ve also been thinking a lot lately about the things I wish I had understood sooner:
And maybe most importantly:
You don’t have to wait until everything is figured out to enjoy the life you’re living right now.
I spent enough years thinking happiness was somewhere up ahead.
When I accomplish this.
When I fix that.
When I have enough money.
When work settles down.
When I lose the weight.
When I take the trip.
When everything finally falls into place.
But that is exactly why I called this little corner of the internet Planning to Be Happy.
The planning matters. But, more importantly, so does the happy.
So, What’s Next?
September was supposed to be my Glow month. And I’ve decided that glow means more than skincare.
It is taking care of myself without turning myself into another project that constantly needs fixing.
It is getting dressed because clothes can change the way I carry myself.
It is moving my body because I want it to carry me into the next decade, and hopefully several more after that.
It is paying attention to my money, my work, my relationships, my surroundings and the things I still want to create.
It is also giving myself permission to change the plan. There are still plenty of things I want to accomplish before January 17.
But I don’t want the rest of these days ahead to become a race to check everything off a list. I want to experience them.
One Ordinary Day at a Time
I don’t know exactly who I’ll be when I wake up on January 17 and officially turn 60.
I hope I’m stronger.
I hope I’ve created some things I’m proud of.
I hope I’ve had some adventures.
I hope I’ve made progress on the goals that matter to me.
I hope I look fabulous.
Obviously.
But more than any of that, I hope I can look back at these six months and know that I was actually present for them. Because maybe becoming the woman I promised myself I would be isn’t something that’s going to happen on my 60th birthday.
Maybe she’s being created right now.
In the walks.
In the routines.
In the imperfect days.
In the outfits.
In the decisions.
In the things I try.
In the things I change my mind about.
In the moments when I choose myself.
In all these very ordinary days.
And I still have plenty of them left.
116 days to 60.
Let’s see what happens.
