Sixtysomething Podcast - Episode 2 - Your Third Act

Sixtysomething Podcast - Episode 2 - Your Third Act

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Grace: Hi there. We're back at 60 something. I'm so glad you're here. Today, we're going to dive into the [00:02:00] concept of the third act. What exactly is the third act? In storytelling terms, it's defined as the resolution of the story and its subplots. But for us, it's much more than that. It's about embracing a new phase of life with joy, purpose, and hope.

Grace: And hopefully, engagement. I recently came across a beautiful definition of the third act by Diana Dunbar Place. She's a lady who runs a website called Third Act Quest. She describes this third act as a time to seek meaning and arrive at our best life, creating a new way of living with joyful, engaged, and truly purposeful decades ahead.

Grace: It resonates deeply with me as I envision what I want my own third act to be. As we embark on constructing a plan for our third act, I think it's crucial to start with [00:03:00] cultivating a positive outlook. Some mornings, I admit, for me, it's tough to find the motivation just to get out of bed. But I've found that thinking ahead to what I'm looking forward to that day, the night before, just helps me tremendously.

Grace: Whether that is spending time with loved ones, pursuing a passion project like this podcast, or simply enjoying the company of my dog daughter Dorothy, something to propel me forward that next day makes all the difference. Maintaining a positive mindset, it's been transformative for me. I've had my share of challenges over the years.

Grace: I've learned to cultivate the belief in myself that good things are just around the corner, always on the horizon. Even in the darkest moments, those deep valleys, I remind myself that everything will be okay in the end. [00:04:00] And, The history of my life has shown me that time and time again. Another tactic that's really helped me is implementing a morning routine.

Grace: Now, I have not been thoroughly successful. I'm going to tell you right now about my ideal morning routine. It's quite ambitious. I have to be honest on paper. This is my morning routine. First, I set the alarm at six and then I wake up. And say to myself, 1, go. You may know that's from the “5 Second Rule”, Mel Robbins book about getting yourself going.

Grace: And then, of course, I go in the bathroom, brush my teeth, I pet my dog. The plan is, in this scenario, get on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Do some mindset exercises, affirmations. Then have some coffee and read the paper, [00:05:00] but only for 30 minutes. Thanks. Then take Dorothy outside in the yard so she can run around and do that for about 10 or 15 minutes.

Grace: And then by 8. 30, I need to be at my desk in my office to work on my projects by 8. 30. In actuality, all too often, I don't really set an alarm. I get up at 8 or 9. Bathroom, yes, brush my teeth, pet my dog, have my coffee, read the paper. Oh, and take Dorothy outside, of course. Listen to my podcasts. This all takes, I'd say, two or three hours.

Grace: And then maybe I'll take a bath, and then I'll get dressed. So, at eleven or later, I start my day. It's not ideal, but I'm working on it. Some days are, you know, more productive and better than others. One time, I tried The Miracle Morning. I think the author of that book, his name is Hal Elrod. And his, uh, [00:06:00] Method is you get up early, you get up at 5am and there are several categories and you go through all of the five or six categories.

Grace: And I did do that. I did every, all of the things and it was great. I felt like a million dollars because of all I achieved that day and I never did it again. But I keep striving for that excellent routine that I've planned. And the more excited I am about my day's activities, the better I do. So, I'm just going to keep at it and I definitely recommend having a morning routine because even though mine's a little loosey goosey, it is somewhat of a structure for me to follow.

Grace: Now, let's talk about setting goals. I'm a planner by nature, I love making lists and dreaming up many new projects, but I've learned the importance of prioritizing and focusing on what really matters to me most. So, instead of overwhelming myself with [00:07:00] I've learned to narrow it down to fewer, a whole deep meaning for me that I really want to accomplish.

Grace: For example, I recently embarked on a writing channel, a challenge inspired by a book that I read about the making of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. That sparked an inspiration for a play, believe it or not. For me to write based on my own experiences growing up, and yeah, I've been working on it ever since.

Grace: And by setting deadlines and creating tangible goals, I've really found a renewed sense of purpose and direction in this long time goal of mine, of writing a project to its conclusion. And it's reawakened my creativity. And, you know, that's an important element of ourselves. It kind of gets lost over our working lives, and it's wonderful to [00:08:00] rediscover that.

Grace: My point is here, decide what matters most to you and prioritize it. Spend time doing that every day. Don't let it slip away from you. Another priority I've identified is creating a legacy. You want to ask yourself, what kind of a mark do I want to leave in this world, you know, when I'm gone? I have made it quite a priority in the last year.

Grace: I digitized over 2, 000 photos, probably more like 3, 000, and organized them and shared them with my family. And the idea is to make them available to them, my children, my grandchildren, none of whom are that interested. Someday. It may not be my children or my grandchildren, but my descendants, somebody may want to know more about me.[00:09:00]

Grace: Having the photos and also some of the other projects that I'm working on, videos and, and cookbook and things like that, which I'm going to talk about at length in a future episode, those wonderful memories and indicators of who I am and who my parents were and who my grandparents were, they will be available.

Grace: To anyone who's interested, if that's something that is important to you, too, we're going to talk about that at length in a future episode, and I'll tell you how to do this yourself. Another thing you may want to consider for this third act is contributing. You can still make a difference in this world, whether it's through volunteering, mentoring, there are countless ways to leave a meaningful impact on the world around us.

Grace: And of course, no discussion of the Third Act would be complete without addressing health and wellness. I'm the first to admit that I'm not [00:10:00] always perfect when it comes to diet and exercise. I'm working on it. I'm trying hard to prioritize my physical and mental well being. From daily walks with Dorothy, just talking with my husband, Or, pursuing my third act goals, I'm committed to staying active and engaged for many years to come.

Grace: Community and relationships also can play a vital role in this stage of life. As we grow older, it's easy to become more isolated. That's why I'm making an effort to reconnect with old friends and seek out new social opportunities. Both online and offline. Finally, let's talk about spirituality. Whether it's through prayer, meditation, reading books on subjects about spiritual matters, simply spending time in nature.

Grace: These are things that bring depth [00:11:00] and meaning to our lives. And as we enter our 60s, And beyond, it's important to nurture these aspects of ourselves. What are you planning for your third act? I've created a downloadable PDF to help you map out your own journey. The link will be in the show notes.

Whether you're embarking on a new artistic project, planning your legacy, embracing the joys of anything that you love to do, I encourage you to take the first step to plan this third act and include all of those things today.

Grace: Thank you for joining me on this episode of sixtysomething, and remember, the best is yet to come. Until next time, take care and keep chasing your dreams.

Grace: I sincerely encourage you to contact me. You can DM me on Instagram at gracets, or follow me on [00:12:00] any of my social channels. I've even created a Facebook group just for us, a place where we can connect directly. But if you're not into the social media scene, you can email me at grace@gracetaylorsegal.com.

Grace: com. All of my contact information for all of these things is in my show notes for this podcast. And if you message me or comment, you're going to find that I will be paying close attention because that's what this is all about for me. Connecting with you. I hope you'll join me in this community we're building together.

Grace: And please do me this favor. If you will, after you've listened to a couple of episodes, if you enjoy the podcast or getting something out of it, if it's something you're excited about, just please take a moment to like, and rate us on Apple podcasts. It really helps people find the show. Now I'll be on the air once a week, [00:13:00] posting a new episode each Tuesday.

Grace: I'll also be uploading a bunch of episodes, as many as I can put together for you to start with, so we can get to know each other. Thank you so much for listening. Finally, I want you to know something important. We live in a time when loneliness has been declared a national epidemic. When people are bitterly angry and disillusioned with each other.

Grace: But this community is going to be a haven from all that. That's my why. I care about you, and you are not alone. Alright, I'll see you soon, see you next time, on Sixty Something. Oh, and special thanks to my granddaughter, Lizzie Sanford, who wrote and performs the amazing Sixty Something theme song.

Grace: Accompanied by her sister, Coco, who is also my granddaughter. I love you, [00:14:00] my beautiful grandgirls. Take it away. Yay!