The Golden Month

Taking time off, the best birthday gift ever

Golden times in Wales

Dear Friend

How are you feeling today?  It actually feels like summer has arrived, and long may it last. I was granny sitting yesterday, we ate lunch in the garden, picked some blackberries, which I thought was a bit early for berry picking season, but they tasted delicious and we chatted at length about our favourite authors.

Mandy isn’t my granny, I wish she was, she is so delightful, wise and witty. I was keeping her company for a couple of hours as her daughter was away attending to other family matters.  

We also spoke about getting older.  She told me that the best bit about being older, was becoming wiser and refusing to take any bulls**t. Granny also asked me what I had planned for my 50th. Good question granny! As August approaches, it’s a question I get asked quite a lot recently. I’ve been wondering whether to take the whole month of August off?? It’s an idea I’ve been pondering for almost a year, but it seems indulgent, especially as I’m accustomed to the relentless pace of running my own business.  But perhaps, as it’s such a milestone birthday, it’s the perfect excuse for me to press pause and enjoy time away from work.

I hesitate about committing to the month break, as the concept of taking extended time off work isn’t so easy. The responsibilities and undue pressure I put upon myself, makes it challenging to step away, even for a short break. My friends keep telling me I should practice what I preach! I don’t deny it, I know only too well the importance of rest and rejuvenation, and it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Have you ever taken a few weeks off work to celebrate a big birthday?

The thought of taking a whole month off seems like a big ask, maybe two weeks would be ample. It’s not like I don’t have a holiday to look forward to.  I’ve got a week in Greece coming up in September, but is that enough?  Part of me thinks that I should bookend it with some extra ME time. Or am I making a meal out of this whole turning 50 malarkey?

What did you do for your 50th?  

Did you create one of those ’50 adventures in one year’ lists?

Did you take time off work to celebrate?  

Go anywhere special?

I’d really love to hear from any of you who are also hitting the big 5-0 this year.  Are you planning anything fabulous or out of the ordinary? Or are you like me, umming and ahhhing about what to do?

Autumn is a busy season for Ease Retreats, which means I won’t really get another opportunity to take quality time off until the Christmas break.

So what do you reckon?  Should I bite the bullet and take at least 2 weeks off in August? I’m all ears for your thoughts, especially from my fellow 50 club newbies or those who’ve already been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

So over to you, what would you do if you were in my shoes?  

If in doubt, journal about it.  

If you’re in a bit of a quandary like me, please help yourself to the following prompts, I hope they’re useful…

1. If I had no responsibilities for a month, what would I do with that time?  How does imagining this make me feel?

2. What fears or concerns do I have about taking extended time off work?  Are these realistic and how might I address them?

3. Reflect on the last time I took a significant break.  How did it impact my wellbeing and productivity afterwards?

4. What does turning 50 (or 60 or 70) mean to me? How do I want to honour this milestone in a way that feels truly meaningful?

5. If my best friend were turning 50 and considering taking a month off, what advice would I give them?  Can I apply this advice to myself?

6. What have been my biggest achievements in the past decade? How might taking time to reflect and recharge set me up for the next decade?

7. Imaging myself at 60 looking back at my 50th year.  What would I regret not doing or experiencing?

8. What good stuff would come from giving myself an extended break? How could this benefit my personal and work life?

9. List 50 things I’d love to do in the next 12 months.  How many of them would I really like to commit to and why?

10. If I decide to take time off, what support would I need to put in place to feel comfortable about stepping away from the day job?  How can I start preparing for this?

Wow, I know these prompts are really going to challenge my thought process.  I hope they are thought provoking for you too. Before I sign off, how about I start a “50 Books To Read” list. What do you reckon? I’ll start with this little selection of books that are on my TBR pile for the rest of the year…

Until the next time

Take care and stay safe xx