Ok, so it is Year of the MAGS (Middle Aged Girls). If you are anything like me, you have spent your life looking after the needs of children, husbands, friends, career and family. You have tried your best to make everyone happy.
Yes, we have all made mistakes, and sometimes been selfish...but now it is our time to shine!
What are you doing for yourself this year? It could be absolutely anything! After all, we are all getting older and I for one do not want to be laying on my deathbed going 'I wish I had done...'
Here is my top 10 list of what we should all get doing for ourselves as a MAGS! Of course, you might disagree...and have other things you think are more important!
The most important bit though - is to do something for yourself! You have earned it!
1. Forgive others - yep, when we are younger, it is easy to get angry with people and then never forgive them. We should forgive people - I know I look back on some things which upset me so much at the time, and now I think those things were pretty trivial in the big scheme of things!
2. Celebrate EVERYTHING! No matter how small, any sort of win or positive thing that happens should be celebrated! We tend to focus on the negative things that happen, but to be celebrating all the time can be fun (and means we are allowed a glass of wine whilst doing it!)
3. Create a vision on how you see the rest of your life - when we were younger, I am sure we all had completely different visions on what has actually panned out to be our lives! I know mine has! But now - I am creating a vision on how I see the rest of my life going...I know it won't all go to plan (the benefit of getting older!), but I will strive to make at least some of my vision happen!
4. Do one thing each week that scares you! This can be something really small, but it does help us to grow so much as people!
5. Love and accept yourself - yes, we are getting older, middle aged spread, hormones all over the place, hot flushes and so on...but we are wonderful! We have already done some fabulous things in our lives (even if it is just us that thinks so!), but there is so much more we can do! It is exciting!!
6. Make time for fun! Yes, I now think this is very important! Having been a workaholic for a good part of my life, I now try to make sure I have time for somethng fun. Even if it is just curling up on the sofa and watching a good movie!
7. Stop justifying what you want - we are now at an age where we can do what we want, when we want to (within reason of course!!). We should not have to justify ourselves all the time - which as women we tend to do!
8. Surround yourself with people that make you happy! Nothing worse than hanging out with people you don't really like. After all, if there is one thing you learn as you get older - it is not the quantity of friends you have, but the quality!
9. Find the humour in EVERYTHING! Yes, you might think something is completely awful, such as someone winning an election (not naming any names - this is just my opinion!), but the funny side it comedians all over the world now have the opportunity to make this hysterically funny! And, they are!
10. Count your blessings! Yes, we have all had hard things happen to us over the years, but we have also had some great things happen! It is time to look to the future!
So, MAGS - what are you doing for yourself today?
Mags xx
This article was first published on middleagedgirls.com