Speaker, author, CEO, SandraPhillipsPresents.com

I turned 50 yesterday. Or was it last year, or maybe it was three years ago. But I know I

turned 50! Yeah!

And my first thought was, “Now what?”

I had been led to believe that turning, becoming, and acknowledging fifty years of life

was such a big milestone that “something” was bound to happen.

Well, “something” did happen. Fifty came and went and I was afraid I had nothing to show for it. I was married to a handsome, wonderfully romantic man; I had helped raise two great kids in a blended family and had an exciting job. What more could there be?

There were no thunder claps of sudden realization; there was no proclamation of sudden wisdom. And except for a wonderful celebration of the event, it was business as usual.

And so I decided to take matters into my own hands. I prayed to God and I knew that He would allow me to make the second half of my life even more meaningful than the first half. But I had to do my part. And if you find yourself in this same place, then I suggest that you have to do your part too.

Fifty is a magic age these days. It is likely that the age is filled with paradoxes: you are more financially stable, and more shaky in your finances ( kids in college, portfolios performing unsteadily, you know the drill); you don’t feel fifty, but the one staring back at you in the mirror sure looks fifty (don’t worry, the new aches, heat surges and slower moves will show up shortly) and of course, if you knew then what you know now, things might be very different.

I suggest that things can be different. Now is the time to remember, reflect, re-energize and reinvent. And if you don’t do it, Life will certainly do it for you. Then, you’ll end up someplace else…

This is truly "the first day of the rest of your life." And a good way to stay fit and healthy, in body and mind, as you embark on the best years of your life is to have a sense of where you’re going. Get it done in three easy steps.

Step One

The first step is to create a vision for the second half (or if you like, the second third) of your life. Now don’t get nervous. Creating your vision can be as simple as answering four questions:

What do I want more of?

What do I want less of?

What is it that I would like to do that I have never done?

What contribution would I like to make to my community?

Don’t be shy or evasive. Write your answers down. It doesn’t have to be a long list.

Step Two

Once you have the answers to these questions, ask yourself:

What am I willing to do to create this life for myself?

Yes, that’s right. What adjustments in your life do you need to make? For instance, if you want more time with your family, then you might need to say “no” to things that crowd your schedule more often. Or you might want to contribute to your community by volunteering at the local community center, or reading to elementary children. Whatever the case, by identifying the answers to these questions, you will begin to see how you can map out what you want to be, do and have.

Step Three

Break down your life plan into decades. Take the same four questions above, and apply them to your fifties. In other words, what is your ten-year plan? What would you like to accomplish for yourself, your family and your community? You will begin to see that if you have a vision of where you would like to be, your everyday actions will lead you there, and not someplace else.

In closing, please remember that it doesn’t have to be difficult or confusing. Hopefully, this information has shown you how easy it can be if you know what you are doing.

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Sandra Phillips, MA, CSC, has helped thousands of busy women increase passion, productivity, and profitability through self-care. An author and motivational speaker, Sandra also conducts Life, Love and Chocolate B.A.L.A.N.C.E. workshops for women.

Her book, Getting Things Done: Successful Women Speak  inspires women to take on all of life’s challenges with gusto, and is available directly from her at www.sandraphillipspresents.com.