My Birthday Check-In: What a Year It’s Been

I recently celebrated my birthday. And birthdays have a funny way of making you stop and look back at the year you’ve just lived. This one has been quite a year.

There have been some big wins, a few losses, some unexpected turns, and more than a few moments when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. But sitting here today, I realize just how much has changed.

I Did Some Things I’m Really Proud Of

I travelled solo. Not because I had nobody to travel with, but because there were places I wanted to go and things I wanted to experience. I learned that I don't have to wait for someone else to be ready before I can have an adventure.

I continued building my own business. Being a solopreneur isn't always easy. In addition to Jackie Doing Jackie, I have a disaster preparedness business where I help people and communities prepare for emergencies and disasters.

There is no guaranteed paycheque and no one handing you a roadmap.

But this year I completed contracts I'm incredibly proud of, joined the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), taught and worked with some wonderful people, and discovered that there is still so much I want to do.

And you know what? It doesn't matter how old I am. I'm not stopping.

Somewhere along the way, Jackie Doing Jackie became more than an idea. It became a reminder to myself - and hopefully to other women - that we get to decide what our next chapter looks like.

It Wasn't All Wins

There were disappointments too. Things I thought would work out that didn't. Relationships that changed. Watching my son go through a major operation and worrying about what came next. Moments when I questioned myself, worried far too much about what other people thought, and wondered whether I was making the right decisions.

I've also had to let go of some things I once thought would be part of my future. That hasn't always been easy. But I've learned something important this year:

Letting go creates room for something new.

So What's Next?

That's the exciting part. I don't know exactly.

I have more travel ahead of me. In fact, I just booked a trip with a friend to Quebec City in December to see the city lit up for Christmas. I'm already excited about it. Trying to decide if I should sell my apartment and move to a new community.

There will be more adventures. More speaking. More opportunities to grow my business and share what I've learned. I want to keep saying yes to things that excite me - even when they scare me a little. I want to worry less about what I should be doing and pay more attention to what I actually want to be doing. And I want to keep creating a life that feels like mine.

So, as I head into another trip around the sun, I'm feeling grateful for the year behind me and pretty darn excited about the one ahead. There will undoubtedly be a few twists and turns. That's okay.

I've gotten pretty good at changing direction.

Happy birthday to me. Here's to the next chapter.

Jackie Doing Jackie — creating my next chapter and living life on my own terms.

ABOUT JACKIE

Jackie Kloosterboer is the woman behind Jackie Doing Jackie. After finding herself starting a new chapter later in life, she decided to build a life filled with meaningful work, solo travel, new adventures and plenty of “why not?” moments. Through Jackie Doing Jackie, she encourages other women to find the confidence to create their own next chapter and live life on their own terms.