PERSONAL GROWTH by Jill Vitiello My Platinum Jubilee Project Do you have a milestone birthday coming up? Have you given any thought to how you would like to celebrate it? Most women want some kind of recognition for a birthday ending in a zero. Parties, vacations, gifts. Enterprising women like us want something more meaningful. We host fundraisers, donate to our designated charities, and encourage our friends, family and colleagues to join us in giving back to the communities that sustain us. After all, we are entrepreneurs of purpose and passion. Yet, if you’re like me, there comes a moment when everything you’ve done in the past to mark the passage of time and the blessings of life suddenly seems insufficient. It’s not “bigger or better” that we desire. It’s different. Last September, as I reflected on my big number looming in just one year’s time, I was overwhelmed by a sense of dread. As a lifelong optimist, a trait one curmudgeon labeled as “toxic positivity,” this was a new and unwelcome sensation. For the first time ever, I realized that I was, indeed, getting old. At 50, I was at the top of my game as a business owner, wife and mom. At 60, I laughed at the days ahead and threw myself a fizzy cocktail party. But now, ten years on, so much had changed – and me along with it. I had sold my beloved business and officially retired. My husband and I moved from our family home in New Jersey to our “age in place” home in Florida. I had taken up art classes and acquired two new knees. Our daughters had given us two precious grandsons. Yet, amidst the glow of these golden years, I could not shake the ominous feeling of running out of time. It turns out, I’m not alone. When I researched how other women handle these unsettling birthdays, I found some fresh thinking. One woman, an author, created a plan to “walk her age,” which at the time was 58. She arranged to take walks of 5.8 miles each with 58 different people. I loved the idea of an active, year-long commitment, but that level of ongoing exertion just isn’t my thing. My research also revealed an intriguing fact -- my upcoming milestone year (ahem, 70!) is also known as the Platinum anniversary. Kind of like Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, celebrating her reign of 70 years. Hah – here was something I could run with! I decided to develop a 12-month program leading up to this scary birthday, God willing that I should live to see it. But what exactly would it be? Should I strengthen my philanthropic endeavors? Expand my volunteer efforts in the women’s business community? Explore my creative inclinations? To choose, I adapted a technique from a friend of mine whose company designs and manufactures stylish jewelry for major brands. Before she pursues a new project, she uses this simple rubric to guide her decision making: “Is it purposeful, kind, and creative?” To those qualifications, I added a few more of my own: ■ Is it fun? Will I enjoy engaging in this project for a year? Does it light me up and energize others? ■ Is it joyful? Will it bring happiness and pleasure to others and me? ■ Is it uplifting? Does it reflect beauty and values dear to me, and encourage me and others to be our best? ■ Is it loving? Does it promote understanding, patience, and forgiveness? Does it come from a place of generosity and peacefulness? With these principles in place, I aimed to set a goal that was both worthy and achievable as I made my way through the final year of my sixth decade. I set aside previously declared ambitions: I’ll write a book! I’ll exhibit my paintings! I’ll start a new business! No. Instead, I thought realistically about how I wanted to spend the precious 525,600 minutes ahead. I considered taking 70 walks, discovering 70 “lifer” birds, losing 70 pounds – but these seemed too predictable. I finally landed on “Jill’s Platinum Jubilee Project” in which I devote myself to establishing a creative practice that allows me the freedom to go wherever my curiosity takes me and builds the habits of a dedicated maker. Each day, I set aside at least two hours to accomplish something creative. Interestingly, that amounts to over 700 hours in one year! It’s changed my dabbling into discipline. Jill’s Platinum Jubilee Project has given me permission to write short stories, paint watercolors, sketch birds in my nature journal, attend art exhibitions, travel to the world’s great museums, read widely and study whatever captures my imagination. It has introduced me to new people who share my interests and organizations that teach me new skills. My Project has found its way into conversations with friends and nudged them to start their own – no matter what age they are heading toward. One friend joined a French speaking club in advance of her trip to Paris. Another downloaded the Merlin app and began keeping track of the birds he sees on his daily walks. By setting gentle intentions, we keep the wonder alive in our hearts, and we accomplish the unexpected with our hands. As a result of my Platinum Jubilee Project, I find myself suffused with lightness and expectation even in the face of the normal challenges of aging. I’m no longer dwelling on the inevitable; I’m excited by the possible. To me, that’s the best birthday gift anyone could imagine. JILL VITIELLO writes and speaks about women in business, leadership, communication, and allyship advocacy. She was the founder and CEO of Vitiello Communications Group, one of the first woman-owned employer engagement and communications agencies in the U.S., which was acquired by a global life sciences marketing firm. Jill is a member of the Enterprising Women Advisory Board and a past recipient of the Enterprising Women of the Year Award. Connect on LinkedIn. 104 enterprising Women
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