So my friends, September is almost upon us! 😳
It’s my birthday month and growing up I always remember the feeling of Christmas coming hurtling on to the horizon as soon as my birthday celebrations were done.
It was also the start of a new school year (UK Curriculum), and the end of summer, and with shorter days and darker evenings suddenly the rest of the year seemed to gather pace.
For us this year it’s our last month of travel before returning to the UK to see friends and family in October, and for my ecom biz Q4 is looming!
So even though it feels like the end of 2026 is creeping up rather fast, we still have 4 solid months to make magic happen!
We could choose to blink and find ourselves putting up Christmas decorations wondering where the year went, or we can decide to make these next few months count.
I vote for door No 2! 🥳
A Bolder September
Last week, I wrote about living a Bigger, Bolder, Braver life in our 50s and beyond. You can read it here:
I’m not talking about selling everything you own, jumping out of an aeroplane or moving to a yurt in Mongolia. (Unless you fancy any of those things, obviously.)
I mean getting out of autopilot.
Doing more of the things that make you feel alive, curious, excited, courageous and occasionally just a tiny bit uncomfortable.
Saying yes when you’d normally talk yourself out of something. Going somewhere alone. Asking for what you want. Trying something you might be terrible at. Making the decision you’ve been putting off. Spending $20 purely for fun. Doing something your age has talked you out of.
Small things, that when done regularly have a funny habit of changing the way we see ourselves.
Because every time we do something a little different, we remind ourselves that our lives aren’t fixed. We can change our minds. Try something new. Go somewhere different. Meet someone. Start something. Stop something. Be beginners again.
And we don’t need to wait until January 1st to do it.
In fact we can get started right now!
Introducing…
The Bolder Life List: 30 small challenges to shake off autopilot and make September a month to remember.
There’s one small challenge for every day, and none of them require you to turn your life upside down.
Some are fun, some will make you think, and a few might give you a little flutter in your stomach that usually means oh God, I don’t know if I want to do that.
Those are probably the ones worth doing. 😂
You don’t have to do them perfectly, you don’t even have to do them in order. Swap days around, adapt them to your life and make them your own.
The only goal is to finish September having done a few things you probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.
We still have 4 solid months of the year left. Plenty of time for a few more stories.
So let’s create some.
Your September Bolder Life List
Do the thing you don’t feel ready to do.
Stop saying “I don’t mind”.
Book something to look forward to.
Do something alone.
Ask for something.
Break one of your own rules.
Remember: No is a complete sentence.
Be a beginner at something.
Spend $20 purely on fun.
Make the call or send the email you’ve been avoiding.
Go somewhere you feel underqualified to be.
Tell someone what you appreciate about them.
Do one thing your age has talked you out of.
Go somewhere without researching it to death first.
Make one decision in under five minutes.
Tell somebody about your big idea.
Take yourself on a date.
Say yes to an invitation.
Make yourself visible.
Ask someone an interesting question.
Give yourself an hour back.
Do something physically playful.
Send the email.
Change your mind about something.
Say the nice thing out loud.
Choose the more interesting option.
Remove one “should” from your life.
Make one tiny move towards a big dream.
Do something nobody expects from you.
Choose your October dare.
Download Your Bolder Life List (For Paid Subscribers)
I’ve turned the Bolder Life List into a September ‘month at a glance’ you can download, print out, stick on the fridge, keep on your desk or save to your phone.
I’ve also created an accompanying guide with more details about each of the 30 challenges, plus ideas and tips to help you actually do them, particularly on days when “make yourself visible” sounds like something you’d rather postpone until 2047. 😂
Pick your challenges, tick them off as you go, and see what happens when you deliberately make one small bolder choice every day for a month! 🥳
Want the downloads? 🔥
The September Bolder Life List downloads are available to paid subscribers.
If you’d like to join us, paid subscribers get:
Full access to The Backpack — every guide, course, template and tool I’ve created to help you fund your freedom, travel smarter and live your best years yet.
New guides, resources and practical tools added throughout the year, including downloads like The Bolder Life List.
Unrestricted access to everything I publish for paid members.
If The 50+ Nomad helps you think bigger, try something new or get a little closer to the life you want to be living, becoming a paid subscriber is also a lovely way to support my work and help me keep creating more of it.
Upgrade to paid to download your September Bolder Life List & Guide below. 🔥
