Yesterday was my 61st birthday, and it was one of those quietly perfect days—half work, half play—exactly how I love it.
I spent the morning meeting with clients, then headed out for 18 holes of golf with my husband in the afternoon. We wrapped up the day with a lovely dinner. Simple, relaxed, joyful.
At some point during every round of golf—or while I’m on the tennis or pickleball courts—I pause for a moment of gratitude. I never take these afternoons for granted. There was a time when taking time off in the middle of the day to play felt impossible. Unthinkable, really.
For over three decades, my television career left little room for work/life balance. The job required every ounce of brain power, physical stamina, and emotional energy I had. I used to envy people who could go home at a reasonable hour, pour a glass of wine, and just… relax. That wasn’t my reality.
I’d come home after a 10 to 12-hour workday, cook dinner, clean up, put the kids to bed, and then go right back to work until I finally collapsed into bed. Weekends weren’t restful either—they were packed with errands, kids’ activities, and, yes, more work.
As one of my dear friends and yoga teachers used to say, it felt like “my hair was always on fire.”
But here I am. Not retired—reinvented. Not old, but older and wiser. My kids are grown. My time is my own. And while I still work, I do work I love. It fills me up instead of draining me. And I’ve finally made space for something I never had before: Play!
If you listened to my recent podcast on hobbies, you know that I didn’t have any for most of my life. Not one. None. Zero. It wasn’t until my late 30s that I started even thinking about hobbies, and now, at 61, I have a list of them. Golf, pickleball, tennis, mahjong, book club—you name it.
I not only love the hobbies themselves, but I’m deeply grateful for the communities they’ve brought into my life—people, connection, joy.
But this isn’t a post about retirement or some “work less, live more” fantasy.
It’s not about being young or old, or choosing between burnout and quitting.
It’s about prioritizing yourself—at whatever stage of life you’re in.
It’s about carving out time for the things that bring you joy.
Making room to play.
Finding something that feels like a personal goal or challenge—whether it’s lowering your handicap in golf, throwing the perfect vase on a pottery wheel, learning to play the guitar, or finally creating that travel fund so you can start checking places off your bucket list.
Whether you’re working full-time, raising kids, caring for aging parents, or somewhere in between, YOU matter too. Your joy matters. Your time matters. Building a life with some balance doesn’t have to wait.
That’s where the magic is, and that’s where my gratitude comes from.
Yesterday was both an ordinary day and an extraordinary one—because it was full of all the things I love, and isn’t that the best gift of all?
Are you ready to reinvent yourself or reconnect with joy—I’d love to help you. You can book a free discovery call with me here.
xo,
Jackie
