Hi. I'm Cyndee.

I'm 52, and I'm starting over.

Not because I figured life out.

Actually, quite the opposite.

I've spent most of my life working hard. Really hard.

I believed that if I worked enough, sacrificed enough, and kept pushing forward, eventually I'd have something to show for it.

A comfortable life.

Financial security.

A little freedom.

Something that made all the years of working so hard feel worth it.

But here I am at 52, looking around and realizing I don't have the things I thought all that hard work was supposed to give me.

And that's a difficult thing to admit.

I've chased money.

I've chased titles.

I've chased things I thought I needed.

I've worked long hours and put a lot of myself into jobs and responsibilities because I believed that's what you did if you wanted to get ahead.

But somewhere along the way, I started asking myself a question I probably should have asked a long time ago:

What exactly am I working so hard for?

Because if I'm exhausted, stressed, and constantly waiting for someday to finally enjoy my life...

what exactly am I waiting for?

Maybe I've been measuring success completely wrong.

Maybe success isn't the title.

Maybe it's not the paycheck.

Maybe it's not the house full of things.

Maybe it's having enough time to breathe.

Having people you love around you.

Being able to wake up without immediately worrying about what you have to accomplish.

Having experiences instead of possessions.

Laughing more.

Living more.

And maybe the fact that I don't have everything I thought I would have by 52 doesn't mean I failed.

Maybe it means I finally have a chance to stop chasing the wrong things.

So I'm leaving New York and starting over in Tennessee.

I'm doing it without a perfect plan.

Without money.

Without knowing exactly what happens next.

And, honestly, I'm scared.

But I'm also curious.

What happens when you stop trying to prove that you're successful and start trying to be happy?

What happens when you decide that enough is enough?

What happens when you let go of the things you thought you were supposed to want?

Can you start over at 52?

Can you build a life when you feel like you're starting with very little?

Can you find happiness without first becoming financially successful?

Can you learn to enjoy your life while you're still figuring it out?

That's what this project is about.

I don't have the answers.

I'm making it up as I go.

I'm going to make mistakes.

I'm probably going to make some questionable decisions.

I'm going to laugh.

I'm going to cry.

I'm going to worry.

I'm going to try new things.

And I'm going to try really, really hard to enjoy the hell out of life.

Because maybe the point isn't finally arriving at some perfect version of success.

Maybe the point is actually living while you're on the way.

Welcome to Cyndee's Life After 50 Project.

Less stuff. Less bullshit. More life.