How To Be Marvelous in Mid-life – 10 Tips To Do Now

We’ve reached the fabulous 50’s, or 60’s, and now what? Did it seem to come quicker than you thought? I know what you mean. But now that we are here, how do we live fully at 50 and beyond? How can we be marvelous in mid-life? We’ve all been through a lot in life, much good and some not so good, or just down right bad. But we can still have a wonderful, even better, life in our 50’s and beyond. It just takes some new ways to think, to be, to feel and to live. Keep reading and discover how to be marvelous in midlife – 10 tips to do now.

1.  Be active in mid-life:

One way to be marvelous in midlife is to stay active. As my wonderful 90 year old mom likes to say, ‘Keep moving and you’ll stay young’. Sitting around all the time can cause all sorts of problems, from back and neck issues, digestive issues, loss of muscle and obesity. We don’t want any of those, in midlife or ever. So be sure to stay active everyday.

Maybe that’s going to the gym for a workout; or brisk walking everyday; how about picking up a new sport or hobby to enjoy with friends, like pickle ball or yoga or dancing.  As we age, we lose muscle strength and bone density. So we need to keep active, and use some weight resistance (even if that’s your own body weight) to counteract that age-related loss.

2. Let go of the past:

We all have baggage, good and bad. We can look back at our past and be sorrowful or joyful…or both probably. And looking back isn’t a bad thing until it affects your present. But to be marvelous in mid-life, we need to use our past as wonderful memories or learning experiences, but don’t allow our past to dictate our present. Let the past go…let it be the past. Live fully and joyfully now and keep moving forward. As my favorite singer, Jason Mraz, says

“You can’t walk through life facing backwards”.

Jason Mraz

Remember that change is good. We don’t want to remain in the past or how we once were. Stagnation is not good, but it’s also boring. And boredom is the opposite of happiness and joy. “The only way forward is to start from where you are now!”

3. How to be marvelous in mid-life by eliminating old outdated clothes:

Let’s face it, we’re not 25 anymore, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dress with style and fun. But what we wore 10 or even 20 years ago is very outdated now. Go through your closet and dresser and eliminate anything you haven’t worn in 2 years, other than maybe a very special formal dress that you only wear once every 2 years for that formal occasion. But then, will you really wear it again?

Now that you’ve gone through and eliminated the outdated wardrobe, work on creating new looks from the clothes that remain. Try starting with 10 items and see how many outfits you can create with only those items. (HINT: this is also a great tip for packing light for travel.) If you feel you need a few more items, give yourself the freedom to buy a few, but keep it reasonable. Before you go out and buy clothes, try to figure out your style first. Also, when you purchase items, think of how many different ways you can use the item and how many different outfits it can be incorporated into. That way, you clothing item, and your money, will go farther.

Keep your wardrobe and outfits fresh, find a fun personal style that suits you now, in midlife (mine is being a gypsy 😉 ) You don’t have to dress like Vogue but you also don’t have to dress ‘old’ either. There are lots of ideas for fashion after 50. Pinterest is a good place to start. Or check out this blog on tips for fashion after 50. But remember, be you, be inspired by some of the ideas but develop your own style.

4. Be marvelous – be different – be you:

We are at an age where we don’t have to worry, or shouldn’t worry, about what others think about us. You are an individual, special and uniquely you! We are no longer striving to be in the ‘popular’ crowd. Thank goodness! We can be who we really are…now. And maybe that’s different than when we were 25. It probably is. And that’s a great thing. It means we have grown and learned through our life and know much more who we are. So be that person, fully and completely. Embrace your uniqueness.

5. Change up your home décor:

Do you have the same furnishing and décor you had when you were raising your kids? Are those little antique chairs, dolls or souvenir spoons still collecting dust on the shelves? What about your blue and pink color scheme? Or the hunter green and burgundy? Ok, my friend, it’s time to redecorate. Now, I don’t mean go out and spend lots of money on new furniture and décor, although that could be an option. But for most of us, we don’t have that kind of expendable money.

Instead of brand new, try eliminating first. Simplify your décor. Maybe be more minimalistic. First, look at each room and determine whether that old collection you’ve been hanging onto has run its course. Remember, you are not who you were when you were raising your family, so let those old collections go.

Next, change your linens, bed covers and even towels. Instead of the ‘bed in the bag’, try a new cover of a neutral shade like white or grey, and add your own pops of color with fun throw pillows. Towels can be had for fairly inexpensive, especially at places like Ross or TJ Max. Even just a couple new towels in fun colors can brighten up the old, stale bathroom. Also, think about getting rid of the old toothbrush holder or tissue holder from the 2000’s, (or the 90’s?). Maybe keep the toothbrushes in a drawer and clear off the counter of all the clutter.

Go with paint to change up decor.

Another budget option for changing up décor is paint. Whether walls, accent or even old furniture, painting can really freshen up a room…or a whole house. Chalk paint is a fun and interesting option. How-to’s and recipes can be found here, but here’s a quick recipe if you’re interested.

• Mix 1/3 cup of Plaster of Paris and 1/3 cup of cool water; stir until completely smooth. Mix that with 1 cup of latex paint and stir thoroughly. This will make enough chalk-finish paint for one coat on a six-drawer dresser.

And again, you can go with a neutral color as a base and add pops of color or go really bold and paint that accent wall or piece of furniture bright red. Why not? Be fun, be fresh and change up your home décor to be marvelous in midlife.

6. Embrace your age & be marvelous in mid-life:

Old age may have its limitations and challenges, but in spite of them, our latter years can be some of the most rewarding and fulfilling of our lives.

Billy Graham

Another great way to be marvelous in midlife is to accept, embrace and be happy with our age. We are over 50 and that’s fantastic! No, we are not 25 any more, but that is not a bad thing. We may have a few more wrinkles and the midsection is a bit softer, but we can revel in our maturity, our lifelong experiences, learned skills, and our strength of character. We know who we are and are not afraid of what others think or believe anymore. Being over 50 is not old. We are experienced.

And we have much more life to enjoy. That’s why it’s called ‘mid-life’. We are only half way through life, but have so much more than we did when we were 20, both financially, relationally, and experientially. So be happy, be ecstatic, that you are over 50! Life is just starting to get really interesting.

7. Eliminate and De-clutter:

This is similar to the old clothes and old décor, but this time I’m talking about everything, from the garage full of boxes and the shop of old tools to de-cluttering your kitchen. It will be a liberating experience!

• Start with old records. Shred those boxes of 10-year old tax forms and receipts.
• Go through your books and eliminate those you’ve read or will never read and donate to the local library or homeschool group.
• What about all those kitchen tools you never use anymore? Get rid of them. And that includes pots and pans. Do we really need 3 sauté pans?
• Magazines? Instead of keeping the whole magazine, because there was one really cool travel article or awesome décor idea, cut out the article and save in a travel or decor binder. Or even click a pic on your phone and save to a folder on your computer.
• The dreaded garage…yep, time to spend a day de-cluttering all those boxes we’ve been saving for years. You know, the box of toys you saved for your grandkids. It’s time to give those toys to your kids or donate to a pre-school. Or the box full of framed kid pictures from the last 20 years. Get rid of the frames and put the photos in an album.
• I’m sure there is a lot more decluttering you can do, but these few suggestions give you a some ideas to get you started.

8. Be self-empowering & be marvelous in mid-life:

No more negativity, especially to yourself. We can be pretty hard on ourselves. But it’s time to stop the negative conversations in our head and instead speak positive, empowering and real truth to our selves. Look in the mirror and say, “I am gorgeous!” and believe it, because you are. No matter how you feel or whether you think it’s true, say it, believe it and then act it. Not in a ‘look how great I am, selfish, sort of way’, but in an empowering and enriching sort of way. You’ve been through so much already and have proven you can do great things.

I mean, you raised little human beings to be productive, great adults. That in itself, is a very awesome accomplishment. And you have even more accomplishments to be proud of. But you are not done being awesome. So speak positive to yourself and others; be self-empowering instead of self-deprecating. And don’t limit yourself by your thoughts. You have more great and wonderful things to achieve. As Tim Ferris says, “Your thoughts influence your actions, so don’t let your thoughts limit your life.”

9. Do at least one happy thing daily:

Do at least one thing everyday that makes you happy. We’ve been working hard most of our lives, serving others, making sure everyone else is happy. Which is great and is still an admirable thing to do. However, we need to enrich and uplift ourselves as well, especially now, in our mid-life. So everyday, find something that makes you happy and do it.

Maybe that’s going for a walk; maybe planting some flowers; how about getting a pedicure; or taking an hour to read a book just for pleasure; or maybe trying out a new recipe or relaxing with a cup of tea on the porch. Whatever it is, do at least one thing everyday that makes you happy, that gives you a smile, a break, a refresher. It’s about self-care. And when we feel better, when we can smile and feel refreshed, we will be so much more useful and caring to those we are around.

10. Stop waiting to enjoy life:

What are we waiting for? We’ve had dreams and goals that have been put on hold because of  kids, house, career, spouse, whatever…. It’s time to stop waiting and start living and make those dreams and goals a reality. Being marvelous at midlife involves enjoying life to the fullest, right now. So what have you been dreaming of doing? Maybe travel? Learning a language? Playing an instrument? Starting a new business? Creating a community outreach program? Visiting all 50 states?

We’ve all had those ‘far-off’ dreams. But now it’s time to go after them. There is no ‘perfect’ time to make it happen. There will always be something else to do, some other task to complete. We will never have the right amount of money or the time to do ‘X’. But that’s when the decision to act anyway comes into play. Follow Nike’s lead and, ‘Just do it!’ If not now, then when?

As Tim Ferris says in his best-selling book, The 4 Hour Work Week:

“The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. Conditions are never perfect. ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”

Tim Ferris

Find that dream or goal again and go for it. Make it happen. Stop waiting and start living that marvelous mid-life!

We may be older, in our 50’s or even 60’s, but we can still learn how to be marvelous at mid-life.  And these simple tips to live well now will help make our lives richer, more stylish, more exciting and more fun. So remember to stay active; let go of the past; eliminate outdated clothes; be different, be you; change your home décor; embrace your age; eliminate clutter; be self-empowering; be happy daily; and stop waiting. By trying some or all of these tips, you will be on your way to a marvelous mid-life!

Are you excited about being over 50? Hopefully some of these tips resonated with you and will help you embrace your over 50 life. Feel free to leave a comment and let’s start a conversation and community of fellow after 50’s!

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