So today I turn the big 35 today, and I'm super excited! At 35, I've experienced a lot of great things but I still have way more to do! I'm a year older and wiser (hopefully) and should have the ability to make much better decisions with my time and money. There are those who think that a birthday is just another day and some who actually dread getting older. I couldn't disagree more! Birthdays are amazing times in our lives, and we should celebrate each one to the max! There are numerous reasons why birthdays are special, but here are some of the three main ones that come to the forefront of my mind:
GREAT TIME TO REFLECT
Birthdays are great because they only happen once a year. Annually is a great rhythm to self-reflect and assess what you did for the previous year and how that translated into where you currently are. At age 34 this time last year, there were a number of different things I desired to accomplish within a year's time frame. I thought about the actions I needed to implement for each of those goals and then put a plan in place to make it happen. As I reflect now back on those goals, I didn't achieve all of them. So I have to ask myself why not and then make the necessary adjustments to prevent this from happening again. During your birthday, you can think about the people who are in your life then and where you would be if there weren't there. For some, this could be a positive thing, as you think about all the people who have helped you over the past year when things may have gotten tough. For others, this may be a negative thing, as you reflect on the people who added no value to your life and actually hurt you more than helped. Probably time to put those people in their proper "bucket" - read my post on "buckets of friends" if you don't know what this means.
GREAT TIME TO REDEDICATE
As a result of this reflection and understanding of what you could've done better and differently, your birthday is a fantastic time to challenge yourself to make any necessary changes you need to be more successful for the upcoming year. Even if you had a stellar year from a work and family perspective, this is still an opportunity to identify how you can become an even better employee, husband, mother, etc. By taking some time to identify where your gaps are and how you can work on them, you give yourself a much better chance of reaching the goals that you desire for that following year. Birthdays are also great milestone markers, as you can get a sense of where you are with your age in relation to what you have or have not accomplished. For example, at 30, most people would like to have a solid career in place and be a home owner. If you have not yet purchased a home and are still trying to find a career that "suits" you at this age, then you may want to reevaluate the decisions and choices you've made in life up to that point. For many, 40 is an age in which you would want to be financially stable and well on the way to an executive role of some kind within your company. If this isn't something you see as on your radar at age 35 (this would be the situation I'm in), then you need to put a plan in place to see how you can get there in five years. Birthdays just give us a perspective on where we are in our life in relation to how long we've lived and hopefully puts a kick in our behinds to rededicate ourselves if we are not where we should be.
GREAT TIME TO PARTY!
Anyone who truly knows me knows there is no one who likes to have more of a good time than me. I work extremely hard every day, but I always make time for my friends and to have a little fun "hitting the streets" as I say. Birthdays are special because the are generally the one day that you don't have to share with anyone else. Everyone is celebrating New Year's Eve, Cinco De Mayo, and St Patty's Day. For anniversaries or graduations, you are sharing this with your spouse or some other group of people. But for birthdays, unless you have a twin or just know someone who happens to have the same birthday as you (which I actually know two people who share mine...which is weird), the day is completely yours and no one else's. This way you can celebrate all the great things you've been able to accomplish with your friends and have an excuse to dance a little harder, spend a little more, and act a little sillier and crazier than usual...something we could all use from time to time.
Birthdays. While they can be somewhat scary for some, they should be a positive time in people's lives. Whether you use them as a time to reflect on all the things you were or weren't able to accomplish the previous year, rededicate yourself to your cause of success for the upcoming the year, or just take time to appreciate the fact you are alive and enjoy it for this year, there are many reasons why one should think so. And while I'm sure we would all love to stay the same age after we turn 25, the reality is that this just isn't the case. Therefore, why not learn something new each year to make yourself smarter, wiser, and that much more successful...because if you can't keep your youth, you might as well have some knowledge, experiences, and money to show for it.
Ken Middleton is an Account Manager at TEKsystems that specializes in IT staffing and services. He is a graduate of UNC-Pembroke and MBA graduate of Scheller College of Business at Georgia Tech (Graduation is Sunday!). You can follow his daily quotes of inspiration and motivation on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIN
