The 40/40 Project: Forty Intentions for My Fortieth Year

Something about turning 40 feels like standing at the edge of something BIGGER than myself.

Not in a dramatic way. More like a hush.

A soft stillness before a deeper yes.

Yes to myself. Yes to who I’ve been. And yes, to who I’m still becoming.

I don’t need a bucket list to prove I’m living. What I need is to live on purpose. More slowly, more soulfully, more like I mean it.

So I’ve created something I’m calling The 40/40 Project. A personal challenge, an open-hearted ritual, and a love letter to the next version of me.

It’s 40 things I want to do, try, feel, or become in my 40th year. Not because I have something to prove, but because I want to remember that life is still brimming with more.

So here it is… My list, written with a full heart and an open hand.

FORTY INTENTIONS FOR MY FORTIETH YEAR

This year isn't about setting resolutions I'll forget by February. It's about planting seeds of intention that reflect the woman I’ve become and the one I’m still growing into. These intentions aren't about perfection. They're about presence. They are a commitment to living with more clarity, compassion, courage, and curiosity.

As I step into this milestone year, I want to honour the journey that brought me here by moving forward with purpose. Some of these intentions are bold. Some are tender. All are rooted in my desire to live more fully, love more deeply, and show up more honestly, for myself and those around me. Here's to the next chapter and the forty intentions guiding me through it.

Nourish My Body + Soul

Nourishing my body and soul is one of the most meaningful commitments I’m making this year. I’m no longer interested in quick fixes or surface-level self-care. This chapter is about choosing what truly sustains me, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s about compassionately reconnecting with my body and creating space for practices that bring me back to myself. These intentions are rooted in love, not pressure, and they serve as a gentle reminder that I am worthy of care, rest, and replenishment.

1. Start every day with silence, even just 5 minutes.

2. Walk outside without my phone, just to listen.

3. Move my body in ways that feel like celebration, not punishment.

4. Say thank you to my body, out loud, more often.

5. Fall in love with cooking again and get playful in the kitchen.

6. Try one new kind of movement: yoga, boxing, pole dancing, who knows?

7. Book a float with Clear Float Spa.

8. Let myself rest without needing to earn it.

9. Unfollow anything that steals my joy.

10. Spend one whole day offline, at least once a month.

Reignite My Creativity

Creativity has always been a part of me. I don’t know who I am without the creative part of my existence, but somewhere along the way, it got buried beneath the noise of everyday life. This year, I’m making space for it to rise again. 

Reigniting my creativity means giving myself permission to play, explore, and express without judgment. It’s about reconnecting with the joy of creating for the sake of the process, not the outcome. These intentions are an invitation to return to what lights me up, to follow curiosity, and to trust that my voice, my vision, and my art all have a place in this world.

11. Fill a journal with whatever spills out, with no edits or filters.

12. Write 12 poems, one for each month of the year.

13. Take a solo writing retreat (even if it’s just a weekend at home).

14. Try a medium I’ve never tried: watercolors, clay, collage?

15. Create without needing it to become content.

16. Blog consistently.

17. Let art be messy again.

18. Read something that breaks me open and write about it.

 Deepen My Connections

This year, I’m being intentional about the relationships that matter most. I am a self-proclaimed workaholic, and I want to throw that aside and truly make room for what matters the most to me.

Deepening my connections means showing up more fully, with presence, honesty, and heart. It’s about nurturing the bonds that feed my soul and creating space for meaningful conversations, shared moments, and mutual growth. These intentions are rooted in vulnerability, trust, and the desire to build relationships that feel safe, supportive, and real. 

I’m ready to let love in more freely, offer it more openly, and remind myself that true connection starts with being fully seen and fully seeing others in return.

19. Plan a spontaneous date night.

20. Send handwritten notes to friends who shaped me.

21. Host a soul-supper (food + stories + zero small talk).

22. Hug my people tighter and say “I love you” more often.

23. Forgive someone even if the apology never came.

24. Ask better questions. The kind that turns strangers into kin.

25. Reconnect with someone I miss.

 Explore and Play

This year, I’m inviting more wonder, adventure, and lightness into my life. Explore and Play is about saying yes to new experiences, following my curiosity, and allowing myself to enjoy the moment without needing a reason. 

It’s about stepping outside of routine and into spontaneity, letting fun be enough. These intentions are a reminder that growth doesn’t always have to be serious, and joy doesn’t need to be earned. I want to laugh more, try new things, get a little messy, and rediscover what makes me feel alive.

26. Visit a place I’ve never been.

27. Take myself out on a solo adventure. No schedule, no expectations.

28. Do something I’m scared of (and blog about it).

29. Start a new tradition, just for me.

30. Try a new recipe, cook it with music on, and dance while it simmers.

31. Learn one new thing for the pure joy of it.

32. Laugh until I cry. Preferably with friends. Preferably often.

Honor My Becoming

Honoring my becoming means embracing every version of myself that has led me here, while making space for who I am still unfolding into. This year, I’m choosing to walk with grace through the in-between moments. The ones that feel uncertain, raw, or unfinished. 

These intentions are rooted in self-acceptance, growth, and trust. I’m letting go of timelines and expectations, and instead learning to celebrate progress over perfection. This part of my journey is about witnessing my evolution with tenderness, recognizing that becoming is not a destination. It’s a lifelong, beautiful becoming.

33. Release one thing I’ve been carrying too long.

34. Say no without apology.

35. Say yes without overthinking.

36. Write a letter to my younger self, and burn it under the moon.

37. Let people love me without shrinking.

38. Create a ritual for endings and beginnings.

39. Trust my intuition more than my inner critic.

40. Step fully into my power, even if my voice shakes.

This isn’t about doing it all perfectly. It’s not about checking boxes or proving anything to anyone. 

It’s about living with intention, with heart, and with the quiet courage to keep choosing myself, day after day. Some of these intentions may shift, soften, or grow as I do. Life has a way of unfolding differently than we planned, and that’s okay. 

What matters is that I try. That I notice. That I stay awake to the moments that matter. That I show up for this wild, wondrous, ever-changing life with open hands and an open heart.

If you’re reading this, no matter your age, I invite you to pause and reflect. What would be on your list? Not because you should, but because it calls to something deep within you? What would you choose if you weren’t waiting for permission, for perfect timing, or for all the pieces to make sense?

Let this be the year we stop waiting to feel ready.

Let this be the year we stop shrinking ourselves to fit what no longer fits.

Let this be the year we say yes to our becoming, yes to joy, yes to healing, and yes to the life we’re meant to live.

Here’s to forty intentions, and a future wide open.

What will you choose for yourself?