Just because your kids have flown the nest, your life doesn’t have to feel empty. On the contrary—now’s the time to build a rich and full life for yourself!
Don’t get it twisted, finding yourself kidless at home for the first time can feel weird. The energy is just different and the house is a lot quieter. As my husband and I navigate this situation right now, we’ve definitely felt the unusualness of it all from time to time. And every new season creates new emotions. You might feel like you’re on a rollercoaster or just feel plain lost.
I get it! My challenge to you—and to myself—is this: embrace this new phase with everything you have and see it for the amazing opportunity it really is. And no matter what phase of life you’re in, you should want and expect an incredible life. Don’t settle for anything less.
Related Post: Building a Morning Routine
With the added margin in your life, now’s the time to dream and plan what your days could look like without the day-to-day parenting of kids who live at home. Speaking of, I intentionally added a bit more on my calendar for these first empty nest months before my girls even left for school. I figured the house would feel different and decided to plan ahead. Staying busy pursuing current and new passions is really helping my transition.
My advice? Grab a notebook or your laptop and spend 30 minutes just hashing out ideas of what new opportunities you could pursue, dreams you could chase, or life changes you could make. Obviously this will look different for everyone, but here are just a few ideas to get you started:
- Plan a trip.
- Find new ways to reconnect with your spouse.
- Sign up for a class or conference.
- Make a new friend.
- Learn a hobby or new skill.
- Incorporate some new practices into your day.
- Join a social or networking group.
- Do something you’ve never done but always wanted to.
- Start taking better care of yourself.
- Switch up your norm. If you’ve been an early riser, try sleeping late; bike instead of drive; tea instead of coffee. Experiment!
- Read a new book.
Personally, I’ve got ‘start a podcast’ and ‘learn French’ at the top of my list, and it feels pretty cool to be a beginner at something again!
The bottom line is this: it’s never too late to create a rich, full life. In fact, I would propose that empty nesting is one of the best possible times to do it! So, my friend, now’s the time to go all in and embrace this beautiful new phase. Not only will you be better off for it, but the rest of the world will be, too, as you bring your fullest self to the table.
