• Hoda Kotb, longtime host of NBC’s “Today,” said she will step down from her role.
• In a tearful announcement, she said her 60th birthday had made her reevaluate her next phase of life.
• She also wants to spend more time with her two daughters, Haley and Hope.

After 26 years at NBC, Hoda Kotb said she plans to step down as anchor by 2025.

In an emotional announcement on Thursday, Kotb said turning 60 was a “monumental moment” that made her think about her next decade.

“I realized that at 60, it was time for me to turn the page and try something new,” she told her co-hosts, holding back tears.

She recalled celebrating her 60th birthday with the staff and fans of “Today” at Rockefeller Plaza in August.

“I remembered standing outside and looking at this beautiful group of people with all these beautiful signs, and I thought, This is what the crest of the wave feels like to me,” Kotb said, adding, “And I thought, It can’t get any better. And I decided this is the right time for me to move on.”

During “Today with Hoda & Jenna,” Kotb explained to her co-host, Jenna Bush Hager, that she was longing to do something new. “I had something kicking around inside me, but I kept pushing it down a little bit,” she said.

Her birthday celebration made her think more seriously about her next steps. “I didn’t know I could have this feeling,” she said of being on the “crest of the wave.”

“But I also know that the waves are high, and then they go into the shore. That’s what waves are like. And I thought: I get to ride this and it’s amazing. And I realized at the same time that this wave is the peak for me” , she said.

Kotb added that she thought about her two daughters, Haley Joy, 7, and Hope Catherine, 5, whom she adopted in her 50s. “I want my kids to have more of my pie,” she said.

“I think ten years from now when I look back at my sixties it will be filled with new adventures, a brand new one, like hopefully putting my entrepreneurial skills to work, and also watching my kids take baby steps, and that’s it, she said.

Although Kotb is stepping down from her anchor duties, she will not be leaving the network entirely. Kotb joined NBC News in 1998 as a correspondent for “Dateline” and in 2007 for “Today.” Her new role was not specified.

“I will be there,” she wrote in a letter to Today staff. “How could I not? Family is family and you will always be a part of mine.”

Knowing when to move up a gear in your career

For Kotb, turning 60 prompted her to reevaluate her career. She’s not alone: ​​Birthday milestones can prompt people to reflect on their lives, Alan Castel, a psychologist and author of “Better With Age,” previously told Business Insider.

“On certain ‘milestone’ birthdays (30, 40, 50), research has shown that people will re-evaluate their age and adopt/change habits,” he said.

For others, the decision of when to take a career break or retire depends on factors such as lifestyle, occupation, health and financial status. The best way to decide a realistic retirement age is to consult a financial advisor to create a financial plan.

Yet making the transition can be a psychological hurdle. After working for many years, it can be annoying to lack structure or a schedule in life. Five retirees told BI why people’s perception of retirement is often wrong, and emphasized how important retirement is to discover new hobbies and do self-discovery.

“It’s a misconception that this is the end of life,” Kathy Feest said. “It’s the beginning of a new phase of life.”

A Kotb representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.