It’s my BIRTHDAY!!!! I’ve always loved my birthday, ever since I can remember. It was always a big, multi-day production with cake and sweets and presents and all that good stuff. I intend to keep that going in 2020, even if it’s just Nick and I celebrating.
This year I turn 40 (!!!) and unlike turning 30, which I had all sorts of feelings about, I’m really excited about 40. 40 feels like I’m joining an exclusive club - a time when badass women make some really amazing strides in their career, and I’m really looking forward to doing something amazing myself. Here are 5 things I want to stay focused on in my 40th year!
Reconnect with my South Asian roots: It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I don’t have that many Indian friends. I left India when I was 18, and while I’m loosely in touch with my friends from high school, it’s very much on the Facebook post level. Other than that, I have maybe two friends of South Asian descent here who I keep in touch with regularly? So while a lot of people are in the “no new friends” category, I’m heading the opposite way to make new friends particularly in the South Asian community!
Pursue an education: I’m not going back to school for an MBA or anything like that (I already have a Master of Arts in Economics) but I do want to pursue some additional certifications that will help credentialize my skills and expertise. I’m 3/4th of the way through an Economic Development Finance Professionals course, but I’m interested in pursuing some additional certifications as well!
Join a for-profit board: I’m currently on the Economics Advisory Board at my alma mater Miami University, and on the communications committee for ACG Cleveland, but I really want to join the advisory board or committee or somehow get involved at the board level for a corporation, or an institution that specifically works with for-profit enterprises. This may take more than 12 months to do, but I want to lay the groundwork for this to happen sooner rather than later.
Go deeper into my yoga practice: The stupid handstand remains elusive, but I’m closer to it than I’ve ever been. I’m very proud of how much my practice has evolved over the past 12 months. I went from doing yoga maybe once a week, to a committed 3-4 times a week practice. More importantly, I started to set real intentions for what I wanted to get out of my practice (the damn handstand), and I’m learning so much about my body and my mind in the process. And I want to go deeper over the next 12 months. Whether that’s reading more about yoga, exploring yoga teacher training, or even just going to an overnight yoga retreat (once that’s safe), I want to do something that will allow my to expand my practice.
Appreciate the moment: As you can see, I’m very goal-oriented. I like to have a target and then work toward it. I can get easily distracted by my varied interests, so goals keep me focused. Unfortunately, sometimes I get so wrapped up in achieving those goals that I lose sight of progress I make in the journey to said goals. I often have this “ugh I haven’t done anything” feeling, and then I have to look back and think about where I’ve started to recognize the little moments. So this year, I want to take more time to appreciate all the things along the way rather than just that end goal.
Thank you all for all your warm birthday wishes so far!! If you would like to celebrate with me, here are a few suggestions:
(b) register to vote, or if you’re already registered, request your mail-in ballot
(c) do something nice for someone else.
If you want to do something for me personally, I would LOVE it if you would fill out this little feedback form (which you can anonymously too)!
XOXO
