Hayley Foster: The Mid-Life Pivot Leader
As I recently entered a new decade of my life, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting back on the last few.
Best Times Of My Life:
My 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. In our 20’s, we are trying to figure out who the hell we are. In our 30’s we are trying to make money and establish careers or find a life partner and in or 40’s we are becoming more secure with our lives and our own identity.
“I’m always up for a good challenge and although it was hard, it was also fun and rewarding.”
I spent the last few months in my 40’s reflecting back at the lessons I have learned, the people I’ve met, the memories I’ve made and how all of those things molded me into the person I am today.
There were good times, hard times, really shitty times and times that go down in the history books as the best times of my life.
With 50 days leading up to my 50th birthday, I decided that each day I would share some words of wisdom with my tribe. Each day, I wrote an email. I’m always up for a good challenge and although it was hard, it was also fun and rewarding. Turns out I have plenty of aphorisms at 50 to share.
50 Aphorisms To Share At 50:
When I started these 50 days of emails, thinking about day 50 was soooooo overwhelming. I thought, why am I doing this? What will I get out of this? Who the hell is going to read my emails for 50 days?
In the beginning, I thought there would be days where I would only share a quote or a mantra but as I sat to write each one, they came so fluidly. I poured my heart out in many of them and hopefully shared some nuggets that had an impact on those who followed along.
50 days of anything is a lot! Here’s the top line message of each one. We get one life to live. Live a big life. We should always do our best. Be a legend. Never feel like you’re complete. You are an ongoing project. Give yourself an ‘it’s ok’. Some days we need to be more gentle on ourselves.
Version Of Your Future Self:
Think about the person you want to be 10 years from now. What’s one thing you can do today to start working on that version of your future self? Reflect on the past. Use it to create your future. Know that the hard stuff is just an evolution that will come to an end.
“Admire another and notice the similarities you share.”
Stop putting limitations on yourself. You can do it. Remember your WHY, your personal mission. Post it somewhere you can see it and refer to it daily. Measure your time in moments, not by clocks. You are capable of 10x more than you think you are! Push harder.
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. That’s where the magic happens. Act like a kid again. Dance in the rain. Be silly. Have fun. Give it all you’ve got, even at 11th hour. All vibes are welcome, not just the good ones. Jump and see if you can fly. Dance like nobody is watching. Sometimes shit doesn’t go as planned. Go with the flow.
Celebrate Good Things In Life:
Always be honest. Integrity matters above all else. Plant seeds, be patient, it will grow. Admire another and notice the similarities you share. Just do it! Why the fuck not! If not now, when? If not you, who?
Celebrate good things. Every small win matters. Decide – is it day one or one day? Ask for help and feedback – it makes you stronger.
Love hard.
“Confidence is the best outfit, rock it!”
Be grateful.
Grow your grit.
Find your focus.
Fail to plan, plan to fail.
Just say no. Especially to things that don’t fill your cup. Get out into nature. Smell the fresh air. Listen to the sounds. Discover new things. Your hardest job makes you who you are. Be where your feet are. Confidence is the best outfit, rock it!
Failure Is Not An Option:
Consistency is key. Do or do not, there is no try. F your goals, create habits that stick. Comparison is the thief of joy. Stop giving a fuck about things that don’t matter.
Try and try again, failure is not an option. Hindsight is 20/20. Find your tribe, love them hard. Be YOU, everyone else is already taken. And there you have it – 50 aphorisms at 50 – my gift to you.
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About the Author:
Hayley has been an entrepreneur for as far back as she can remember, always motivated to find creative ways to help others. Hayley is a two-time author, speaker, consultant, coach, podcaster, motivator, and mentor. In 2002, Hayley founded her first company, Verge Marketing Inc – a bag and accessory design and manufacturing company with offices located in New York City and Shenzhen, China (a WBE certified by the WBENC and member of WPO of New York).
From building the infrastructure from the ground up to managing all aspects of the business, Hayley grew Verge to over $5M in revenues, earning accolades from Entrepreneur magazine as a “fastest-growing company” and landing on the Inc. 5000 list for three years. After 12 years, Hayley lost her passion for what she was doing.
