I quite my job and started my own business near 28-29. All things work well and have no major complain as I am still working everyday . My life is happy with a son and a clever wife. My son is mature enough and planning to move out. I have completed house mortgage, balanced income & expense with savings . If there is no big accident I don’t have to worry with .

All my parents have a long life , they all 90+, just passed way in 2019. I don’t want to buff but its like I have reached a point I don’t know where to go. My body is giving me aging signal, like joint pain, difficult to read tiny words on screen, slightly slowed response.

At this period I don’t think I could play any extreme sports. I have tried writing but its like the ideas no longer come to me like the school time did . Very little musical experience with harmonica and I found myself not specialized in this area. My response time is slow now so no PC gaming.

What would you suggest , or you did before you end your 40s ?

33 comments

  1. May I suggest the vast and wonderful world of board gaming?

    Edit: Patchwork is a very good introduction to the hobby designed specifically for 2 players.

  2. I would suggest travel. Seeing the world is wonderful. I’d try to go places where you can spend time and get to know people if you can manage the freedom to do so. Some of the best trips we’ve taken were a month long.

  3. Try to slow your days down. Wake up without a plan. Take a long walk. Find a new breakfast place and read every item on the menu.

  6. Get into some kind of exercise that you can do long term. Particularly something lowish impact but good for your CV system and metabolism like cross country skiing, if that suits the climate where you are.

  7. Reading, board games, art, tactical computer games, chill sports.

    Dude you got it all figured out but why does it feel like you don’t have anything to look forward to? You should try a variety of things and find something you really enjoy if that hasn’t happened yet.

  9. I got back into biking with an E-bike. It’s done wonders for my knee health, especially after a partial replacement.

    Going up mountain trails as fast as you can go down is pretty amazing. Add foraging for fungi or other wild foods to your skill set to turn every trip into a treasure hunt.

  10. I used to play MMOs with several 60-year-old folks regularly who had joined my guild. Yes, they weren’t as good as the 18-35 crowd, but we had fun and socialized just the same.

  11. Ice skating is low impact and very good cardio. Same with swimming.

    Volunteer. People report getting the most satisfaction from activities that help others.

    Crafts, such as woodworking, knitting, light carpentry, etc, are very satisfying, useful, and keep the hands active.

    Also, as another late-40s guy, it’s time to own up and do things like get those progressive lenses. Have an annual physical exam. Improve your diet. Stretch / walk every day (yoga or pilates are great ideas).

    Read quality books and make sure you’re having conversations every day to help keep your mind sharp.

  12. I’m 34 and a hobby I got into during lockdown was bird watching. I already did a decent amount of hiking, but I have always been bad at identifying birds among other things like trees, mushrooms and animal tracks. It’s a pretty easy, low cost hobby and it is funny how satisfying it is to see a bird you’ve never seen before or just rarely see. Depending on where you live right now is a great time to get into it since migratory birds will be on the move.

  13. At 39 I started taking improv classes. At 40 I’m now going to be in a play and have multiple other creative-y things in the works. This is all on top of a full time career. It’s changed my life in incredibly positive ways. It’s also brought me closer to my kids–I’ve made a couple of videos that I include them in, super fun.

  14. Start visiting national parks throughout the country. Nothing has ever been so astounding in my life as seeing Angel’s landing or Yosemite.

  18. Long distance backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, etc…make sure you’re out for at least 5 weeks. Go test yourself mentally and physically.

  19. 1. Think of this as the start of a 40-year life.
    2. But you get to skip the toddler/school years. So in terms of your potential for growth (non-athletic) it’s really the start of a 55-year life. It’s a massive blank canvas for you to grow. Start learning new shit.
    3. Said another way: Let’s say you’re 48 and you always wished you could play piano. Right now there’s a 5 year old who’s never touched a piano but will discover it in 2 years and start taking lessons. At 15 they’ll be amazing. By that math, you could be an amazing (or at least pretty good) piano player by 56. Or baker. Or photographer. Or beat-maker. Or web designer. Or cyclist. Or landscaper. Or carpenter. Or tattoo artist. Or whatever.

  20. Sounds like you’re a good candidate for golf. It’s great because you can play alone or with others, but you’re always competing against yourself and trying to improve. And you can walk and get a ton of exercise in, or take a cart and relax some days.

  21. Do something that can be passed down after you are gone.

    Quilting is a good one from women and its social, every time you use it you think of the person who made it. For men, my top pick is building a family cabin – at a lake or in a ski town.

  22. Art classes. Learn to paint.
    Another option is to take up a carpentry learning to build things.

    The latter can get pricey with all the tools but you’ll have a skill that is appreciated by everyone.

  24. >What would you suggest , or you did before you end your 40s ?

    **Contemplate the notion that life is not a college course with a syllabus delineating what should be completed and when.**

    No disrespect meant.

    Time will soon be catching up with you. I would do strenuous and time consuming trips now while you still can. Walking the Appalachian trail, climbing up a million steps on some mountain to see an exotic site, etc.

  25. Yoga or brazilian jiu jitsu or both!

    Yoga helps a ton for BJJ.

    And BJJ is fun af and you get involved with a community of great people and also a great way to make friends.

  26. I’d say do something physical, something creative and something intelectual.

    Taking some courses in college.

    Learning to paint, or join some theatre group.

    Yoga, running, cycling etc

    Gardening. Growing your own plants and vegetables nos more complicated and rewarding than expected.

  27. Develop an exercise habit. Strengthen your core and your back to protect your spine.

    Start a skincare regime. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. Nourish and protect it with cleansers, scrubs and moisturiser.

  28. Do something to help you increase your activity level. A few years ago I decided to start being more active. Started exercising at the gym in the mornings, I do indoor and outdoor rock climbing multiple times a month, go hiking and backpacking regularly as well as picked back up on reading. I’m in my mid 30’s now and I feel more like I’m in my mid 20’s.

  30. Jiu jitsu.

    It will get you in great shape, it will build a great community of people, and beating up / getting beat up by people 10 to 20 years younger than you will keep you young!

    or

    ​

    ruin a very nice life you have built for yourself with a mid-life crisis

    ​

    Personally, I would pick jiu jitsu

  31. If you want exercise tips, trying to lift weight with autoregulated intensity is great. Basically you pick the weight based on how heavy the warmups feel, so that you’re never pushing past what you’re capable of that day. This article describes how it works, and the company that published it has great content. Not trying to crap on anyone else’s workout suggestions, but the effect on lean mass retention as you age of resistance training is basically unparalleled. https://www.barbellmedicine.com/blog/autoregulation-and-rpe-part-i/

  32. Is your response time slow because of some medical condition?

    I ask because I’m 31 now and aside from balding, grey hair and the slightest beginnings of crows feet in the corner of my eyes, I’m not seeing anything else degrade any more than it was in my 20s…

    I thought hangovers were worse, but that was just because I kept staying up too late when drinking and waking up at the same time as I would during the weekdays regardless because of my body clock.

  33. Erm, may I offer you a game called Factorio in these trying times? XD

    Kidding. Please don’t.

    Try hiking or urban exploration. I recently liked getting meself some sun. Also, the people I encounter and talk to whenever I’m out and about is a nice treat and a break from all this digital work whatnots.

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