--- title: Setting New Year's Intentions in Middle Age description: 'You’re not just getting older—you’re getting better,' writes Chip Conley. canonical: https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/ author: Chip Conley article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2023-12-27T12:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:03.078Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Setting New Year's Intentions in Middle Age og:description: 'You’re not just getting older—you’re getting better,' writes Chip Conley. og:url: https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0402d0623b2004c/698a435f9d83e8bc5eb97fe5/midlife-new-years-resolution.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2070 og:image:height: 1164 og:image:alt: midlife-new-years-resolution og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Setting New Year's Intentions in Middle Age twitter:description: 'You’re not just getting older—you’re getting better,' writes Chip Conley. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0402d0623b2004c/698a435f9d83e8bc5eb97fe5/midlife-new-years-resolution.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- # Setting New Year's Intentions in Middle Age > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=21d89aec-4069-4bb5-9db5-a772180e665a&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=21d89aec-4069-4bb5-9db5-a772180e665a&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=21d89aec-4069-4bb5-9db5-a772180e665a&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: 2023: A Year In Review [Watch (HLS stream): 2023: A Year In Review](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/aY8VA0xd.m3u8) (4:19)  _Published 2023-12-21. Here's a look back on the most impactful events of 2023._ Dec 27, 2023 12:00 PM UTC  Senior Married Couple Sparetime with Dancing, Elderly People Active Lifestyle, Old Man and Woman in Loving or Friendly Relations Spend Time Together, Extreme Leisure. Cartoon Flat Vector Illustration Senior Married Couple Sparetime with Dancing, Elderly People Active Lifestyle, Old Man and Woman in Loving or Friendly Relations Spend Time Together, Extreme Leisure. Cartoon Flat Vector Illustration Getty Images by [Chip Conley](https://time.com/author/chip-conley/) ## Chip Conley Dec 27, 2023 12:00 PM UTC By midlife, we have picked up some habits and mindsets that feel nearly impossible to shake. We get comfortable in our discomfort, whether it’s the way we communicate with our spouse, our attitude toward work, our mindset regarding our body, or our belief system about how the world works. By midlife, many of us have given up on the whole idea of New Year’s Resolutions because we believe we’re destined for 2024 to be just like 2023…and 2013 and 2003\. As social psychologist Dan Gilbert [once said](https://www.ted.com/talks/dan%5Fgilbert%5Fthe%5Fpsychology%5Fof%5Fyour%5Ffuture%5Fself), “Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they're finished.” But, that doesn’t have to be the case, and oftentimes isn’t. I’ll admit it: Gilbert could have been talking about me; or at least me in my mid-to-late 40s. It was during the Great Recession. The company I’d founded 20 years earlier was at risk of becoming insolvent, my long-term relationship was ending, and my adult foster son was wrongfully going to prison. I felt stuck, personally and professionally. New Year’s Resolutions felt like a ridiculous lift because everything was going wrong at the same time. There were so many resolutions I could have made—I didn’t even know where to start. And, then, in 2008, I had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and had a Near Death Experience (NDE), which was the perfect wake-up call for making change in my life. Prior to my NDE, with my 50’s looming on the horizon, I figured that the time for making meaningful change in my life had passed me by. The NDE made me realize that there was no better time than now. Over the past few years, partly due to my own midlife challenge and, partly due to the fact I lost a few friends to midlife suicide, I became a student of a life stage with bad branding: the “midlife crisis.” After spending time with thousands of midlifers and working with academics on what’s called “middlescence,” I’ve come to realize that midlife is less of a crisis and more of a chrysalis—a time with the potential for deep transformation. As we approach the new year, I believe that reframing a “resolution” as an “intention” is one way to improve our odds of feeling success in 2024\. Whereas a resolution feels like a directive with two possible outcomes—success or failure—intentions are directional and represent an ongoing effort. Here are four intentions that can help set you up not just for 2024, but for the rest of your life: ## Remember how much of your adult life is still ahead of you Most of us don’t have much “longevity literacy.” In other words, at 63, when I hear that the average longevity for a man in the U.S. is [about 73](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/01/why-american-men-die-younger-than-women-on-average-and-how-to-fix-it.html#:~:text=Women's%20life%20expectancy%20was%2079,men%20than%20any%20comparable%20country.), I might think I only have a dozen years ahead of me. But, this neglects a whole variety of factors (including the tragic fact that U.S. longevity is [incredibly impacted](https://time.com/4410610/race-poverty-health-death/) by socioeconomics and access to health care). When I factor in my family history, personal health status, and demographics, I may live till 90, so I still have 30% of my life ahead of me. My realization that I have so much of my life still ahead of me opened up doors and possibilities that re-energized me. I’ve tried my hand (and mostly my clumsy feet) at surfing, am speaking Spanish for the first time, and have taken up pickleball. (Okay, I know, every midlifer is expected to be a pickleballer, right?) I’m convinced that when you start to realize how much life you still have ahead of you, you’re more willing to try something new. It’s never too late to become a beginner again. ## Let go of the mindsets, identities, and relationships that no longer serve you Running the midlife marathon is best done without carrying extra baggage. The first half of life is often about adding and accumulating not just possessions, friends, or romantic relationships, but also all those professional roles and titles we’ve held, all those mindsets that guided us, and all those stories that defined us. The second half of life is about editing—letting go of that which no longer works for you. I call this the “Great Midlife Edit” and it’s a perfect ritual to start the year. Write on a piece of paper all the mindsets, roles, identities, relationships, and obligations that have run their course in your life and throw them in the fireplace on a cold winter evening as you dedicate to replacing them with something new that will nourish you. By emptying some of the contents from your suitcase of life, you have created the space to add new intentions. ## Treat time as a valuable asset Anticipated regret is a form of wisdom. And learning from your past—metabolizing your life lessons—is the raw material for your future wisdom. It’s worth asking what do you know now, or have you done now which you wish you’d learned or done 10 years ago? It could be learning to cook or garden, starting a journaling practice every morning, or walking the Camino de Santiago sacred pilgrimage in Spain. Time is our most valuable asset as we age and it’s a nonrenewable resource. If you spend a dollar, you can make another one. But, if you waste a day, a year, a decade, you don’t get it back. Think of your time as an investment at this stage in your life. ## Understand wellness as a shared responsibility There are many variables that influence living a long, good life including how you eat, exercise, and sleep, but there’s one variable that stands, far and away, ahead of all the others: how socially connected we feel. It’s time we started thinking of wellness as a social activity. What if you began to look at your wellness as a shared responsibility, striving for social, not just personal, wellness. Maybe it’s time to count not how many steps we took or how many calories we consumed today, but how many sunsets we experienced with our spouse, how many times we felt goosebumps during a deep conversation with our closest friends, or how many times we smiled at a stranger. Your Great Midlife Edit has created the space for social connection. Friends aren’t a “nice-to-have.” They’re a “need-to-have.” Our friends, family and community are our “emotional insurance.” Resolve to invest in your community in the year ahead. New Years is a transitional time, and midlife acts in the same way. It’s when we’re no longer young, but not yet old. We’re all familiar with the heroic caterpillar to butterfly journey. Midlife for the butterfly is in the chrysalis. Sure, it’s liminal, dark, gooey, and solitary, but it’s also where transformation happens. When that chrysalis cracks open, there is the colorful, winged creature that delights us so much—the butterfly. Let’s think of midlife as the dawning of a new era, a time when much of what we accumulated dissolves, just before we’re ready to transform, spread our wings, and pollinate our wisdom to the world in our 50s and beyond. Now, that’s an inspiring intention for 2024\. You’re not just getting older—you’re getting better. Your best years are not behind you. They’re right now. ## Transcript 2023 was a year of disruption. the year began with historic Oscar wins and the Superbowl performance heard across the world. Major companies were under Fire. I'm the problem. It's me do surveillance of other Americans. We will protect the US uses data at 5 is all from all I wanted for. My Nexus is a commitment given to the committee. Where is Hunter I am here artificial intelligence took center stage in the tech world? This is a remarkable time to be working on artificial intelligence. But as technology advances, we understand that people are anxious questions about signs of intelligent life in outer space made their way to Congress. I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade a UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program reality of climate change. As the hottest year in recorded history. as the war in Ukraine continued Another War struck leading to Global device hostage negotiations And calls for ceasefire. decisions with staggering impact were made both domestically and internationally still record president XI a dictator The United States began the process for the next presidential election celebrities got candid. as world leaders came and went female performers ran the world but their tours Records were made as Barb and Heimer and concert movies, but audiences back to movie theaters. Union workers found their voices and won the agreement that the negotiating committee reach with the amptp on Wednesday. but strikes around the world continued remember those we lost. And ask for your closes. Finish what we started. the world awaits with 2024 will bring ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/"},"headline":"Setting New Year's Intentions in Middle Age","datePublished":"2023-12-27T12:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:45:03.078Z","description":"'You’re not just getting older—you’re getting better,' writes Chip Conley.","url":"https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/","keywords":["society","Living","freelance"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chip Conley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/chip-conley/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/society/","name":"society"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/","name":"Setting New Year's Intentions in Middle Age"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"2023: A Year In Review","description":"Here's a look back on the most impactful events of 2023.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/aY8VA0xd/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-12-21T20:01:21.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/aY8VA0xd.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/","duration":"PT4M19S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/6548881/new-years-intentions-middle-age-essay/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```