Designing The Next Decade

Hi friends… it’s Meredith Patterson — and welcome back to The Meredith Patterson Podcast.

Today’s episode is a deeply personal one.

I recently turned fifty — (smile) half a century of becoming — and I’ve been reflecting on the big, beautiful question that we all face at some point in our lives:

Who am I now?
What do I truly want in this next chapter?
And how do I design a life that’s not just successful… but deeply fulfilling?

There’s a powerful tool I’ve discovered called Odyssey Planning — from Bill Burnett and Dave Evans at Stanford.
They wrote a best-selling book called Designing Your Life — and the whole idea is this:
to think like a designer when it comes to your future.

Be curious. Be creative. Prototype your possibilities.

So today, we’re going to do this together.

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Why Designing Your Life Matters at 50
Turning fifty is not the end of anything… it’s a beginning.

It’s a threshold where experience meets freedom.
You’ve lived enough to know what doesn’t serve you — and you still have time to boldly explore what does.

I’ve reinvented myself so many times. 
Broadway star, writer, producer, podcaster, mother, holistic coach…
and, believe it or not, for five years — a licensed massage therapist.

Yes — that’s right.

After one of the hardest seasons of my performing career, I thought,
Maybe it’s time to pivot.
Maybe I’ll do something healing, something grounded, something that helps others feel better in their bodies.

So I trained, I got licensed, I built a practice — and I did that work for five years.

And honestly… I learned so much.
About the human body. About trust. About compassion.
I was invited into the most vulnerable spaces of people’s lives.
And I am so grateful for that experience.

But after a while… I realized something.

I was doing it for the wrong reason.
I wasn’t following my calling — I was following security.
I was trying to make money, not meaning.

Do I regret it? No.
That chapter was a teacher.
It reminded me that I’m a healer — yes —
but my healing comes through my voice, my stories, and my art.

So, if you’ve ever gone down a path that didn’t turn out to be your forever path — please hear me —
it’s okay.
It’s more than okay.

Every pivot, every detour, is simply your compass realigning to truth.

 

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The Odyssey Plans – Three Possible Futures

Alright — let’s design this next decade together.

The Odyssey Planning method asks you to imagine three distinct five-year futures.
Think of them as prototypes — experiments of what your life could be.

Here’s how mine look right now.

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🌿 Plan One: The Life I Think I’ll Live

6-word title: Merie Productions Expands, Family Flourishes, Legacy Deepens.

If I stay on the path I’m on, I see Merie Productions growing into a full creative brand — with live shows, national tours, and meaningful stories told through performance.
The podcast continues to inspire.
Whitefish Living Magazine deepens its community roots.
And Bliss Is Your Birthright becomes a movement that uplifts women everywhere.

Personally, my boys will keep growing into amazing young men.
Dustin and I will keep performing together —
celebrating both music and marriage — and deepening our roots here in Montana.

Questions this plan asks:

1. Can I balance ambition with presence and peace?

2. How do I sustain creativity without burnout?

3. What legacy do I want to leave?

This one feels right.

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🌸 Plan Two: If Everything Changed

6-word title: The Reinvention—Teacher, Writer, Global Storyteller Emerges.

What if tomorrow… everything I built disappeared?
No stage. No podcast. No production company.

What then?

In that version, I become a global teacher, writer, and storyteller.
I travel the world speaking about manifestation, resilience, and reinvention.
I lead retreats in Italy or Bali, helping others rediscover their creative spirit.
I write. I teach. I connect.

Questions this plan asks:

1. Could I thrive without the stage?

2. How would teaching fulfill that creative need?

3. What stories am I still meant to tell?

And honestly, this plan excites me. It’s growth in a whole new form.

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🌺 Plan Three: If I Didn’t Care About Money

6-word title: Spirit, Stillness, Art—The Freedom Decade.

Now… let’s dream without limits.
What if money didn’t matter at all?
What if no one’s opinions or expectations defined my choices?

I’d create for joy.
I’d write songs, paint, garden, dance barefoot in the kitchen.
I’d host intimate creative retreats here in Montana — just for the love of connection.
I’d travel with my family.
I’d wake up slowly.
And live in full gratitude.

Questions this plan asks:

1. What does “enough” truly mean?

2. How do I define success beyond achievement?

3. Can I allow myself to just be instead of constantly do?

Now that feels like bliss.

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Blending the Paths – Designing My Decade

After exploring these three futures, I realized something powerful:
They’re all me.

Each path represents a truth I hold — creativity, purpose, connection, peace.
And together, they form the next decade of my life.

This chapter is about creative freedom, global impact, and peace.
It’s about bringing all of me forward — the performer, the teacher, the healer, the storyteller.

The massage therapist in me still exists — she’s the healer who listens deeply.
But now… she heals through words and music.

My symbol for this new chapter is 🌕 The Full Moon.
It represents reflection, renewal, and radiant fullness.
Always cycling. Always becoming.

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Your Turn — Design Your Life

Now it’s your turn.

Grab your journal…
or open your Notes app.

I want you to design your next decade.

Ask yourself:

• What does your Plan One look like if nothing changes?

• What’s your Plan Two if everything does?

• And what’s your Plan Three if money—or judgment—didn’t exist?

Then look for the patterns…
The dreams that repeat…
The themes that whisper “yes.”

That’s your compass.
That’s your truth.

And remember — it’s okay to pivot.
It’s good to change.
You may think you want one path, until you walk it — and realize your heart is calling you somewhere new.

That’s not failure.
That’s wisdom.
That’s knowing thyself.

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So here’s to turning fifty — not as an ending,
but as a creative beginning.

Here’s to freedom.
Here’s to change.
Here’s to keeping your compass pointed toward truth.

Because bliss, my friends…
is your birthright. 💫

If this episode inspired you, please share it, leave a five-star review, and tag me on Instagram so I can see your Odyssey Plans.

And remember —
have vision for what you want…
and be grateful for where you are — every single day.

www.meredithpatterson.com

@meredithpattersonpodcast

@merpatterson

@merieproductions