Yes! This is the 50th blog post of Midlife Interrupted.
When the idea for Midlife Interrupted came, I was recovering from my second breast cancer surgery. I wasn’t working and had left my job. I had some treatment to come, but apart from that, very little in the diary. It was so weird having no plan and no focus especially after being a complete workaholic – I was in limbo. I remember sitting, reflecting, thinking ‘what has happened?, this was not in the plan’ My life, my midlife had been interrupted.
And then I thought, what a great idea for a blog.
A friend and I had always joked ‘one for the blog’ whenever something ridiculous happened – dating disasters, nights out, random and funny encounters. Who would have thought that I actually would end up with a blog?! (Albeit on a slightly different topic!) That friend is one of my loyal readers – thank you!!
Around the same time, another friend had experienced a different kind of interruption – she broke her arm, she needed a break. It made me realise that in midlife so many interruptions happen. Hormones, the bloody perimenopause and menopause. Confidence dips, Anxiety creeping in. Job changes – maybe even redundancies or just that we question what we really want to do. And kids (if you have them) grow up, parents age before our eyes (and roles can reverse). And along with it, a realisation that we are not getting younger.
Plenty to write about, I thought. And of course, I’d faced breast cancer twice. Which left me re-evaluating things. And grappling with the emotional (and physical) effects of life after cancer and worse – navigating menopause after cancer.
So I set myself the challenge to get the blog up and running. I spent a looooonnnnng time agonising over which platform to use – Wix, GoDaddy or WordPress (WordPress won), and then even longer obsessing over the design, fonts and colours instead of writing.
I wrote my first 3 posts, they sat dormant for a while, and I continued to list all the things I could talk about. And I eventually launched the site, just over a year ago. I told no one. And then I decided to be brave – and just commit to writing a post a week. Plus share on Instagram (which honestly terrified me at first).
And here we are – 50 blog posts later. I’m proud of this milestone, and whilst it’s a bit of an indulgence, a diary and a reminder for me, I have also learned a lot along the way. I also hope it helps others, you perhaps? Because mostly that’s what its been about. If I can share honestly and someone else can benefit from it – job done.
Here’s some of the things I’ve gained along the way…
01
Its given me focus
Which was just what I needed when I wasn’t sure what was ahead. Its helped direct my energy and its been a way of journalling my thoughts and experiences.
02
Its given me structure
When I had no regular work, this became my regular work. I used the concept of a trading calendar which I developed in my retail career to plan out the year and months. And then built a weekly routine to my posts and Instagram shares. Its meant I’ve been consistent and stuck to my goal of posting every week in 2025.
03
I’ve been creative
Not just connecting my experiences with whats happening in the calendar but also being creative with images, videos and finding the most appropriate quote to accompany my theme each week.
04
It’s been a learning curve, and will continue to be
I’ve learned a few new skills and new tools – canva, instagram, more about SEO, affiliate marketing and AI. Learning, I believe, is essential as we age.
05
I’ve been brave
I’m often told I’m brave because I’ve navigated breast cancer twice, I don’t think I had any choice – I had to get on with it. What has felt braver, is sharing openly and honestly every week on Midlife Interrupted. Doing things which take me out of my complete comfort zone. Its helped me build confidence and resilience.
My quote of the week – ‘You make progress by implementing ideas’ (Shirley Chisholm) – rings true and I hope acts as an inspiration to others to take action and make those ideas happen. Like I have with Midlife Interrupted.
