Tell me about new, big things you’ve achieved post 40! I need to be inspired!

[40goodthings]

Been feeling the slump since I hit 40. Maybe a midlife crisis?! I know it’s silly, but I can’t help but think that if I was going to achieve this particular new exciting work thing (a change of career entirely), I would have done it by now.

So let’s hear about all your amazing life changes / achievements post 40!

Depends what you've done so far. Are you married? Kids? House? Own business? Travelled the world? That's the usual middle class bucket list.

Run a marathon (lifelong non runner until 40+), competed in triathlons, taken up open water swimming and will do a 7km swim this year, learnt to organise sporting events, and as of this week, started an MBA. I'm 48, so still time to do new stuff before 50 and a whole new decade starts!

Oh, and DH is 49 and took the big leap this year to buy into a company and become a joint owner/director

Ha! I am married with children, I’ve worked in the same career since I was in my early 20s and did love it, but it’s very tiring (on-my-feet-all-day job).

I like so much about it as I’m definitely someone who likes working with people and not computers (think healthcare but not quite).

But I have another ambition that I’ve had since childhood that I’ve never fulfilled and am starting to think it’s all a bit too late for me. Maybe if I was going to do that, I already would have.

I want to hear stories where people went and did the cool stuff, I think!

Qualified as a fitness instructor. I've now almost finished my yoga teacher training and will be doing pilates teacher training in a few months.

I'd always wanted to do it but never had the confidence, but in the middle of a pandemic and with my 40th looming I thought fuck it, might as well have a go, if I don't like it or am shit at it I don't have to keep doing it. Turns out I love it.

Learned to scuba dive. I did a try dive on holiday a few months after my 40th birthday and in the few months after that got qualified and spent my 41st birthday diving round wrecks and caves off Malta and Gozo.

Have had a few warm and cold water diving holidays since then and I really need to get back into it (blasted Covid).

I love these! Very impressive!

I started a degree at 45. Nearly finished.. I'm now 49. I have a nice new job to go with it.

I'm nearly finished building my house. With my own two hands. Prior to this project the most I'd done was time a bathroom and paint some walls. 😆 It's been slow but very satisfying.
Don't this has delayed getting my career change of the ground so only time will tell whether I can make any headway in that once I try to re-enter the world of work now I'm ancient (45)

Tile a bathroom

I'm 46.
My childhood dream was to become a fashion designer and I quashed that in favour of job stability and security. I'd always done a small bit of self-taught stuff that turned out ok on the outside but shitty looking inside so I took up sewing classes and getting into proper tuition on quilting and sewing techniques as seriously upped my game. I'm now working more with trickier fabrics I'd have avoided, and more complex patterns and getting quite professional results.

I've just finished a perfectly proportioned jersey top and for my recent birthday I got a voucher for a fabric shop and got some stunningly gorgeous wool fabric to make a tailored coat for winter.

I plan to keep going, and learn more about pattern drafting and tailoring and if there's any way I can do a formal qualification on pattern design and drafting, I'm going to do it.

Run two marathons. Learnt to rock climb.

My neighbour has retrained as a primary school teacher at 50.

Moved house to somewhere I love - a new life.

I had another baby at 42 😃

Set up my own business and have decided to never ever work for anyone else again!

hbr.org/2018/07/research-the-average-age-of-a-successful-startup-founder-is-45

Ooh tell us your ambition OP - we will cheer you on

I finished my degree at 39, after 40 I trained as a teacher. I'm 50+ and I have started another degree with the OU.

I did a degree and a post degree qualification and I now hold early years professional status
I also got an award for student of the year
I was promoted to nursery manager
I felt like i could do anything in my 40s, now I’m mid 50s and i just want a quiet life

Left an absolute arsehole dp

Completely dedicated my home

Booked a holiday for me and kids to big o alone

Been on a motorbike

Been various min breaks discovering the country in which I live

Dyed my hair pink and then purple

Walked a marathon

Climbed a mountain

Retrained for a new job and got a new job!

You're only half way don't give up yet!! We are only here once make it fun!

Mid 40's, just doing an MSc, looking forward to getting an interesting job afterwards. Probably as fit as I've ever been (into weight lifting nowadays)... considering some major home improvements in next few years. Nowt wrong with the 40s...

I was last month awarded my doctorate at the tender age of 43. After DS was born (9 years ago) I was sure my brain had turned to candy floss and it’d be downhill all the way. It’s nice to be proved wrong and even nicer that my kids are old enough to understand and feel proud of me!

Since I turned 40 I've got divorced, got engaged, started running (though still rubbish at it!), and started learning bass guitar. It's been an eventful few years!

I've taken up horse riding again. I did it as a kid and loved it. I'm really enjoying it and it's lovely to be out in the fresh air and it's good exercise.