Michelle Obama Says She Feels ‘Fully in Myself’ in Her 60s: ‘Doing Things That Bring Me Joy’! QT

The former first lady said she plans to be intentional with her time, focus on her needs and nurture “the next generation of leaders”

Michelle Obama is embracing her true identity as she navigates her 60s.

While speaking to presidential biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin at a HISTORYTalks event on Saturday, April 18, the former first lady, 62, said that, as she grows older, everything that she does and wants to do “will be completely based on” what she needs.

“I really feel fully in myself in my 60s now,” Michelle said. “My kids have grown, my husband [former president Barack Obama] is finished with the hard things and so I move with an intention of doing things that bring me joy and leaving the other things behind.”

In addition to opening the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago alongside her husband, with whom she shares daughters Malia and Sasha, Michelle went on to mention the work she plans to do in “girls’ education,” as well as her podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson.

“We’re really focused on getting out of the way and nurturing the next generation of leaders,” she explained. “I just met with a group of young podcasters that our Higher Ground audio platform is supporting.”

The Obamas founded Higher Ground Productions in 2018 to produce diverse and socially conscious content. It is currently transitioning to an independent operation following eight years at Netflix, per The Hollywood Reporter.

“That’s one of the reasons why I started my podcast is because it’s a way to attract a base of younger voices in culture and in music and art,” Michelle continued during the HISTORYTalks event. “Having me there as a face and a platform gives them a little light. So I think, you know, another decade of work, and then I’m gonna sit on a beach somewhere.”

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Michelle told PEOPLE in November that she is “fundamentally” the same person she always was — just a little bit older.

“With each decade, I’ve grown wiser,” she explained. “I think I’ve become more confident about who I am. This version of Michelle probably cares less about what other people think.”

If anything, she has found more freedom in embracing her true self nearly a decade after her husband left office. It has also been a few years since her daughters flew the coop.

“We are the former president and first lady, and so I feel like this is the first time in my life that when I say and do something … these are my choices,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “That is freeing.”

“I’m as vibrant as I’ve ever been,” she continued. “Fortunately, Black don’t crack. But my health has always been paramount — what I eat, working out, regular doctors’ visits, all the things that allow me to enjoy this time.”