The Lead-in Year has begun

As of yesterday I am 39 years old and the Lead-In Year to my fourth decade of life is officially underway. So many women have told me that the 40s and 50s are way better than the 20s (when you're trying to figure out what the hell you want to do) and 30s (when you're working your ass off trying to accomplish whatever you decided on), so I am pretty psyched about this whole aging thing.

The theme I've heard most often about why the 40s (and onward) rock is because you no longer care what people think. The longer your view gets, the less you give a crap about what anyone else thinks of your choices. I hope I am on my way to that mindset, having abandoned what most would say was an excellent career prospect for the great unknown, and just generally lost my attachment to jobs. I'm also much, much less inclined to sweat the small stuff than I used to be, although there is still room for considerable personal growth on that front.

The Lead-in Year is something I invented, wanting to arrive at the momentous 40th with mindfullness and joy. I haven't yet figured out what all it's going to entail. Hopefully a weekend birthday getaway with my two childhood girlfriends (since we all turn 39 within an eight week period). It also includes training for (and presumably running) the half-marathon in Victoria in October, so I start my second half of life in good physical condition - you can't take the old physical plant for granted forever, if you know what I mean. I'm thinking of signing up for a year-long yoga teacher training course, for something different and challenging.

I'm trying to think of some kind of ongoing ritual, perhaps for the 13th of each month, to keep the idea of the Lead-In Year alive and meaningful even as life gets busy with the day-to-day, but I haven't figure out what that could be. I like the idea of ritual, but I have a pretty low woo-woo tolerance - there will be no ululating naked under the moon for me. So I'm trying to find some ideas or examples of life transition rituals that are cool but not too cheesy - and I'm also not a big fan of just appropriating other cultures' rituals superficially without the cultural background that make them meaningful. You know, like when anglo New-Agers decide to go on a vision quest and find their animal spirit guide. Anyway, if anybody has any ideas - suggestions are welcome.