How do you celebrate your milestones?

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Yesterday was April Fool’s day, the international holiday for practical jokes. Here’s a funny one: it was also my first day back at work as a 50-year old. Is Father Time messin’ with me?

With the cartoon bubble of my new AARP card floating above my head…I spent last week in Gulf Shores, Alabama, celebrating my 50th birthday.  Friends and family provided the support and peer pressure for me to party like a college kid again.  My temporary Carpe Diem tattoo and painted toenails (pink) remind me we had a really good time. And why not? Every good leader needs to cut loose on vacation to rejuvenate mind, body and spirit.

So for one week, we lived the Spring Break cliche — Frisbee, football and volleyball on the beach. We staged an indulgent Seven Fs celebration, including a killer sand castle (affectionately known as our Newcastle). We binged on jambalaya, gumbo and fifteen pounds of crayfish. We marveled over the Blue Angels aerobatics at the Naval Air Base in Pensacola. And we lit fireworks over the beach.

Of course the college kids taught us embarrassing drinking games. Not that we actually did any drinking… All I know is today I’m yearning for a vacation to recover from my vacation.  Being 50, the recovery period ain’t what is used to be.

But, alas, I’m so lucky I love my work.  Partying on the beach is great…yet my body is reminding me I couldn’t do that every week. The hypnotic roll of the ocean made my mind wander back to the office. Thursday morning I checked email to collect birthday wishes and Shazaam!  A client sent me a birthday greeting and awarded us a new project! Now that’s a birthday present that makes me feel young.

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Looking ahead, my real work now is to improve my fitness (to get rid of the vacation tire around my belly) deepen my faith (to embrace the craziness life is throwing our way) and sharpen my future (to build an evergreen business model so I won’t ever have to think about retiring.)  Who needs to retire? I have role models setting the example of how 70 is the new 50. What do you think Father Time thinks about that?

Good leaders make a it habit to pause, savor and celebrate significant milestones in their personal and professional lives. And they use their young energy to create a compelling plan for the future.

Let’s get the conversation started: what is your next milestone, and how do you plan to celebrate?

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