I’ll soon turn 79. That means I’m not “approaching” 80 – I’m entering my 80th year.
And I’m doing so with energy, clarity, and a sense of forward momentum – not diminishing.
For many women, birthdays ending in zero can feel sobering. For me, this one feels expansive. Not because life is simpler (it isn’t), or because change has slowed (it hasn’t), but because I’m clearer than ever about how I want to live – now and in the years to come.
Thriving Isn’t an Age – It’s an Intention
Last year, I wrote about how I was thriving in reFirement – not retirement. Those five F words are even more important to me now: family, fulfillment, fun, friends, and fitness.
Since then, my life has evolved. I’ve moved into a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), embraced a new rhythm of daily living, and entered a chapter focused on redirecting rather than stepping back.
Here’s what’s surprised me most: thriving at this age and stage isn’t about staying busy or proving vitality. It’s about intentionality –choosing what matters and releasing what doesn’t.
Turning Intention into Action
Last year, I set a Big Grin Goal that felt both practical and deeply personal: to begin transitioning to a CCRC before my 80th birthday. I aimed to relocate from a position of strength, choice, and curiosity – not urgency.
I reached my goal earlier than planned, and what I discovered was unexpected. Rather than feeling like a retreat from my previous home, this move has brought renewed energy. Having future health care needs carefully planned has eased a quiet layer of concern. This wasn’t about downsizing my life. It was about right-sizing it.
Entering my 80th year, I feel less pressure to do everything and more freedom to do what’s meaningful.
Living a New Chapter, Lightly Held
Living in a community where meal preparation, home maintenance, and future health care are addressed has freed up something precious: mental bandwidth.
I’m not preoccupied with “what ifs.” Instead, I’m more present for “what nows.”
That doesn’t mean my days are quiet or my calendar empty. Quite the opposite. It means my energy is better directed toward writing, mentoring, building friendships, lifelong learning, and creative projects that light me up. The setting supports my life, rather than competing with it.
And importantly, this move was not an ending. It was a significant new transition. Fun!
The Power of a Big Grin Goal
Each year, I set what I call a Big Grin Goal – something that stretches me just enough to spark joy, purpose, and maybe a little nervous excitement.
For the upcoming year, my Big Grin Goal is deeply personal and quietly ambitious: to complete a revised edition of Moving Forward on Your Own: A Financial Guidebook for Widows, which I originally wrote several years ago, after my husband’s death. This new edition will include a section called “The Journey Continues,” highlighting the wisdom that develops after major life transitions.
This isn’t about revisiting the past. It’s about honoring how much life unfolds after major transitions – and how much wisdom we gain along the way as elders.
What matters here isn’t just the project itself, but what it symbolizes: a belief that creative contribution never expires and that meaningful work can stay with us well into later life.
My Energy Looks Different – and That’s Good
Let me be clear: entering my 80th year doesn’t mean I feel 50. Nor do I aspire to. What I feel is grounded.
My energy today is more selective and less scattered. I say yes more thoughtfully – and no more easily. I value deep conversations over busy schedules, progress over perfection, and purpose over speed.
This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what fits.
Redefining What “Forward” Means
We often measure aging by what we lose – roles, speed, familiarity. But there is another measure: what we gain.
For me, moving forward at this stage of life isn’t about speed or distance. It’s about direction.
Perspective. Patience. Self-trust.
I’m more comfortable living with uncertainty now than I was decades ago. I know that life will keep changing and evolving, and that I can change with it.
Entering my 80th year, I’m not focused on how long I’ll live. I’m focused on how well I’ll live, and how consciously I’ll choose my days.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’re nearing a milestone birthday – or simply sensing a transition of your own – I invite you to pause and ask:
- What does thriving look like now?
- What would it mean to live your next chapter intentionally?
- What is one Big Grin Goal that could energize the year ahead?
It doesn’t have to be large or public. It just needs to matter to you.
The Journey Continues
Aging, I’ve learned, isn’t about winding down – it’s about opening up. Clarifying what matters. Letting go of what no longer helps. Staying curious. Staying involved.
As I enter my 80th year, I do so not with a checklist, but with a posture – open, intentional, and grateful for the journey that continues to unfold.
And that, to me, feels like thriving.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What’s one intentional choice – or Big Grin Goal – you’d like to set for the year ahead?
