Falling forward in my 40s - Love, life and the lot

You know the Notion board or spreadsheet. The beautiful, colour-coded, seventeen-column one that took you an entire afternoon to build and that you have opened exactly once since.Yeah. Me too.In this episode I'm talking about being all or nothing and what happens when you finally stop fighting it and start designing around it instead. My PT said something to me today that I've technically known for years. And somehow, this time, it landed.If you've ever planned a triathlon you were never going to do, this one's for you.

It was supposed to be a normal Easter holiday week.Wreaths on the graves, a trip to the zoo, painting the windows. The kind of week that just happens.And then Alfie asked one question. And everything that followed: a phone call, an Ancestry account, a rabbit hole I'm still in two weeks later and none of it was planned.This episode is about family. The traditions you just do without questioning. The people who came before us and the lives we never thought to ask about. And what happens when a small person asks the question you didn't know you needed to answer.

It's the day before I go on holiday. I'm already shattered. And I've got something to say about guilt.Not the big obvious kind. The kind that sits next to you on the drive. The kind that follows you in your wellies.This one's for anyone who's ever said "I've absolutely earned this" and then added a but.

Last week I talked about how hard it is to see friends in your forties. But when we do get together? It's incredible. In this episode, I talk about the difference between surface-level friendships in your twenties and the deep, real connections you make now. My sole aim in my twenties was recreating Coyote Ugly and coming home with cheesy chips. Now? The belly laughs hit different. The tears are okay. Your circle gets smaller — but it gets so much deeper. If you've been wondering why your friendships feel different now, this one's for you.

I tried to organise something with my friends over Easter. Just the three of us and the kids. And I genuinely can't remember the last time we were all in the same room. Now it takes a bloody Google Calendar just to get us together. In this episode, I talk about the death of spontaneity, why everything needs a plan now, and how we're all trying to fit connection into the gaps. If you miss just popping out, then this one's for you.

We're the first generation to be reachable 24/7. Our parents didn't have phones in their pockets or work emails at home. So we just... said yes to all of it. In this episode, I talk about learning to pause, setting boundaries around availability, and why nothing terrible happens when you don't reply straight away.I'd love to know your thoughts.

I'm not who I used to be. And that feels weird. In this episode, I talk about the quiet shift that happens when you outgrow parts of yourself, like the confidence I had ten years ago, the split between how I showed up at work vs with friends, and why there's a tiny bit of grief even when the change is good. If you've been feeling different lately and can't quite name it, this might help.

I genuinely thought by my forties I'd feel more settled. More certain. Less in my head. But here's the truth, you can love your life, be deeply grateful, and still feel like you're evolving. In this first episode of Falling Forward in my Forties, I'm talking about gratitude, growth, confidence in your 40s, and why feeling "not finished" doesn't mean something's wrong. If you've ever wondered why you don't feel completely sorted yet, this one's for you. ✨ Come and say hello: www.instagram.com/nina_mistry_

So… here we are. And I'm really glad you're here. This is the start of Falling Forward in my Forties. A podcast for women who thought by now they'd feel a bit more sorted… and don't. In this first episode, I'm sharing why I've started this, what "falling forward" actually means to me, and why your forties might feel less like arriving somewhere and more like quietly reassessing everything. If your life looks good on paper but you're still questioning things underneath… you're not alone. Let's see where this goes. Love, Nina x