Welcome to Version 4.4: Reflections on Turning 44

A few months ago, I came across something on Instagram that stopped my scrolling completely. Someone was talking about birthdays, specifically about reframing the way we think about getting older. Instead of dreading another year ticking by, she suggested putting a decimal point between the digits of your age and thinking of your birthday as a software upgrade. The moment your birthday arrives, you are becoming the next, best version of yourself.

I cannot stop thinking about it.

Today, April 29th, I turn 44… and I’ve been anticipating this birthday with more excitement than I’ve felt about a birthday in a very long time. Not just because I’m turning 44, but because I’m becoming Jen v. 4.4, and I’m genuinely thrilled about her.

Reflections on 43

I want to be honest with you, because that is what this space has always been about.

This past year has been, without question, the most trying and challenging year of my life. It has also been the fullest, most hopeful, and most liberating year of my life. Both of those things are completely true at the same time, and I have stopped trying to make them make sense.

After 18 years of living in an emotionally abusive, financially abusive, and sexless marriage, I have separated from my husband. I am not going to say more than that right now, because the story is mine to tell on my own timeline. But what I will say is this: choosing yourself is terrifying and it’s also the most important thing you’ll ever do. The version of me that made that choice is someone I am incredibly proud of.

What Version 4.4 Has on the Calendar

There are some genuinely incredible things on the horizon for this next year, and I want to celebrate them out loud.

My oldest child is graduating from high school and will be leaving home for two years to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Barranquilla, Colombia. I cannot fully articulate what it means to watch the human you have poured the most of yourself into step into the world with this kind of faith and courage. I am so proud of him I can barely stand it, and yes, I will absolutely be a mess at the airport.

I’ll be returning to my maiden name. Once the divorce is finalized, I will officially be Jen Moore again. There is something deeply grounding and full-circle about that.

I’m going to speak at BYU Education Week in August 2026. I have dreamed about this for years. When I found out I had been selected, I cried, the happy, terrified, you-have-to-be-kidding-me kind of tears. I feel genuinely honored and genuinely terrified, which I have come to recognize as a sign that it’s exactly the right thing.

I’m visiting Chicago and Boston, two cities that have been on my bucket list forever, with wonderful friends. Just writing that fills me with joy.

I’m going to Israel and Petra with my parents, and stopping in Greece to visit my oldest and dearest friend who is living in Athens. This one feels almost too good to be real.

Version 4.4 is going to be well-traveled, well-loved, and well-stretched. And I am here for all of it!

But More Than the Big Moments...

What I've spent the most time thinking about is not the events on the calendar. It’s the version of myself I’m committed to showing up for every single day.

Intention has been my word for years. But it keeps coming back to me louder than ever as I step into this chapter. Especially as my marriage dissolves and my oldest baby leaves the nest, my priorities have become more important than ever, while simultaneously, my capacity and time to attend to them has shrunk. Most days it feels genuinely impossible to give the time and care I want to to my children, run Reset Your Nest, eat anything that resembles a real meal, take a shower, exercise, keep the house running (even a very organized one), and then do anything even remotely relaxing or fun on top of that.

Version 4.4 is not pretending that is easy. She is just recommitting to her priorities every single day, because that’s the only way through.

Version 4.4 prioritizes personal peace. I have found so much peace this past year by investing in my spirituality, setting firm boundaries with anyone who isn't a builder in my life, and honestly, by becoming a much softer mom to my kids. With my time with them so limited, I am laser-focused on every interaction being one of love, support, fun, and connection. Are we still working on hard work and being decent humans? Absolutely (if anyone has advice on balancing that with choosing your battles, please send help). But choosing connection over correction has transformed my relationships with my kids in ways I didn't expect. They stay up later than they probably should, because I am talking with them instead of rushing them off to bed. Their rooms are messier, because I am not nagging them as much. That's a trade-off I can live with. Peace and connection are worth it.

Version 4.4 prioritizes her health. Sleep, movement, and real food every single day. Not perfectly, but intentionally.

Version 4.4 continues to build an incredible business, but leaning hard on the Reset Your Nest leadership team, delegating everything that does not absolutely need my specific touch, and setting boundaries with myself as fiercely as I set them with everyone else.

Version 4.4 shows up for her community, her friendships, and the possibility of new relationships with actual energy instead of constantly running on empty. This one is new for me. And I am really looking forward to it.

What About You?

Reflecting on how far I've come and where I'm going in the reframe of a software upgrade has genuinely changed the way I think about getting older. Every birthday is not a countdown, it’s an upgrade. It’s the next, best version of you coming online.

What’s your next birthday upgrade? What version are you stepping into? And more importantly, what does that version of you look like? I would love to know. Drop it in the comments.

Here's to Version 4.4. She’s been through a lot to get here, and she’s just getting started.

Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.