As we journey through life, we often find ourselves chasing the next big moment, the next milestone. But what if the real joy lies not in the destination, but in the anticipation of the journey? This summer, let’s explore how cultivating anticipation can bring happiness and purpose to our everyday lives.
Summer has always been a season of anticipation. The longer days, the lingering light, and the memories of childhood adventures all contribute to a sense of excitement and possibility. But anticipation isn’t just for summer; it’s a year-round tool for enhancing our wellbeing.
The Science of Anticipation
Research shows that looking forward to positive experiences can be just as rewarding as the experiences themselves. This means that the concert you have tickets for, the lunch date next week, or even the trip to your favorite book store can start improving your mood long before they happen. Anticipation is a powerful tool that can inspire us to look beyond our daily routines and towards the future.
As women in our 60s and beyond, we often find ourselves with more freedom than we’ve had in decades. But freedom without intention can feel flat and demotivating. Having something to look forward to is not a luxury; it’s a necessity, as essential to our wellbeing as sleep, good shoes, and knowing where we put our reading glasses.
The Joy of Small Things
When we think about having something to look forward to, we often jump straight to the big bucket list items. But the compound benefit of positive anticipation lives in the smaller experiences and activities woven into an ordinary week. A standing Thursday happy hour with a friend, a cover band concert where you know all the words to the ’80s tunes, or a novel so good you’re rationing it so that it doesn’t end, all provide moments of pre-emptive excitement.
None of these experiences will change your life, but when planned, they create a rhythm of expectation and enjoyment that can transform an ordinary summer into one you’ll remember fondly. So, let’s not overlook the small things. They matter more than we think.
Creating Your Own Traditions
One of the genuine gifts of this stage of life is that we no longer need permission to create traditions that suit us. As children, summer traditions were handed to us. As adults, we get to invent them from scratch, and we get to make them exactly as elaborate or as low-key as we want.
Friday lunches on a patio, a monthly visit to a local museum, and hosting an apps and yaps potluck so that you’re not doing all the work are examples of minimum-effort traditions that are a joy to look forward to. The event itself matters less than the act of creating something that gives you a reason to smile when you think about next week.
Let’s embrace this freedom and create our own summer traditions. They don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. They just have to be meaningful to us.
Looking Forward as a Form of Hope
There is something powerful about putting plans on the calendar. It signals that we believe good things are coming. They may not be dramatic or life-changing, but they are meaningful. One example from my own life is scheduling an appointment with my hair stylist. While coming out with a fresh ‘do feels fantastic, the part I look forward to most is the wild conversation we have.
Having something to look forward to keeps us engaged with the present while staying genuinely optimistic about what comes next. That, it turns out, might be one of the most valuable habits we can build at any age.
So, let’s make a habit of putting things on our calendar that we can look forward to. It’s a simple act, but it can have a profound impact on our wellbeing.
Be the Woman Who Says, ‘Let’s Go’
As women who choose to thrive in later life, there’s one important thing to keep in mind. The person who benefits most from having something to look forward to is often the person willing to create it. Unfortunately, many women drift into unintentional isolation, waiting for invitations that never come because everyone else is waiting, too.
Sometimes the solution is remarkably simple: be the planner. Be the friend who suggests coffee. Be the neighbor who organizes a beginner mahjong group. Just be the woman who says, Let’s Go. Not only will you fill your own calendar with meaningful moments, but you’ll soon discover that others are grateful you took the first step.
So, let’s be the ones who initiate. Let’s be the ones who say, Let’s Go. Our friends and neighbors will thank us, and we’ll all benefit from the increased connection and community.
This summer, let’s embrace the power of anticipation. Let’s create our own traditions and put meaningful plans on our calendar. And let’s be the ones who say, Let’s Go. Because when we do, we’ll all benefit from the increased joy, connection, and community.
