Lifestyle
26-11-2024
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By Admin

How to Reinvent Yourself: Starting New Adventures After 50

Never knew I was passionate about something. When friends would mention the things, they do for fun or a project they fantasise about doing, I would shrug and say, “I just don’t have one.” I spent most of my life concentrating on the day-to-day work, family and survival. Next, it was retirement and then I was left with all my time! At first, I was terrified by all that time and had no clue what to do with it. Now? I am rediscovering myself and reinventing life after 50 may be one of the best things I have ever done.

I am finding my passions and I am growing more than I ever thought possible yet I can still enjoy life. One time a friend said to me, “Oh my gosh! never in a million years did I know that you could do this!”. Honestly, neither did I.

This is what I discovered about making this season of life an adventure to look forward to.

Reinventing Life After 50

I had very strict routines for many years; get up, go to work, come home and do it again. It was secure, reliable and you can be forgiven too when you call it dull. I retired and all that structure changed completely and I felt lost. But I thought, what could I even reinvent? As reinvention was not on my radar.

Reinventing life after 50 does not always mean becoming someone else. It is about going back to the side of you that you had neglected, or developing hobbies you never got around to doing. I started small.

I decided to try my hands at painting the walls of my home with a new coat. It started off as a tiny project and ended up being one that I felt proud of. Then I got a food dehydrator and began trying out different fruit recipes.

Next thing I knew, I was doing dried fruits and beef jerky. That whole process brought me a small win with these tiny tasks and joy.

The starting point for a reinvention is curiosity: whether it’s painting your house, trying your hand at something new, or cooking something exotic.

Ask yourself:

  • What have I always wanted to try?
  • Every time I see anyone doing something, what interests me?
  • What is something I used to love as a kid, but abandoned on the journey of life?

You do not need to know the destination; you just need to make that attempt.

Explore New Passions in Your 50s

Before now, I envied people who could list their passions. “I am interested in photography, or I enjoy baking” they would say. Me? I would laugh awkwardly and switch topics. Not that I was not interested, but simply because I never allowed myself to try. Retirement changed that.

I had time on my hands, so I decided to get into things that I was “too busy” to try before. I began doing crafts, learning new dehydrator recipes and venturing into light gardening in addition to painting my house. And to my surprise I loved everything!

That is the beauty of being in your 50s, that there is no expectation to be amazing. I definitely do not intend to become the next superstar. I am simply dabbling and figuring out what things I enjoy.

Here are some ideas if you really want to explore new interests:

  1. Get out of your comfort zone: Do something that is completely not you.
  2. Head to YouTube or signup for some classes.
  3. Start celebrating your journey already! It is not about perfection, it’s about process.

How to Overcome Fear of Change After 50

It would be dishonest to say that this journey has come easy. Nobody likes change, especially when you have had a long time routine. You start asking yourself questions such as: what if I branch out and fail? What happens if I embarrass myself?

But what I learned from that is this: fear comes standard with any and all growth. Every time I have had to push through it, I always feel stronger and surer of myself on the other side. The trick is to take things in baby steps.

Here are some simple ways to overcome fear:

Consider the benefits: Focus on what you will earn rather than channelling your energy on what could go wrong.

Remind yourself of your past successes and this is no different. You can do this too.

Find a support system: It really helps to have your friends or someone so they can be there to root for you.

How to Start Over at 50 Feeling Confident

Cultivating confidence is like cultivating muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. Until going through it I had no idea how insecure I was. It challenged everything about myself, it forced me to try and fail, at something I had never done before. But you know what?

I got more confident with every small success to try something bigger. The wins were: finishing my house-painting project, trying to perfect a dehydrator snacks here and there and yes even telling people about it.

The following tips will help you build confidence for your own fresh start:

Tip #1– Divide larger projects into bite sized tasks.

Tip #2 – Keep a record of your achievements, small or big.

Tip #3 – Do not be too hard on yourself if things do not go as planned.

You do not become confident in one night, but rather, it develops with time. Through all those repeat tries and when it eventually happens the potential is limitless.

Embracing a New Adventure After Retirement

The best part of all of this has been the ability to say yes to new adventures. Retirement is the ideal time to travel and devote more to things you also care about.

I never thought I was one for DIY, now here I am re-doing my whole house and pulling out the dehydrator to make healthy treats! It feels like I am on a vibrant adventure with this new activity giving me direction and something to look forward to.

Adventures also need not be grand! It can be going for a day out to somewhere you have never been before or taking up an activity you have never done. The key is to stay inquisitive and try things out.

Starting Life Over After 50

Part of the experience of reinventing life after 50 has been discovering me. Along with this, I have found new passions and battled fears/lack of confidence, along with adventures that I never dreamed about undertaking. But for someone who felt she had never had any passions; I have discovered more of what sets my soul on fire in the last few years than I ever knew combined over decades.

If you are just starting this new chapter and wondering how to go about it, I will keep it simple: JUST DO IT!

Connect with others just like you on a mission to find themselves again after 50.

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