50 is not old! And yet we have a tendency as a society to look at people – particularly women – who are over the age of 50 as “over the hill”. The idea is that there is nothing left to look forward to except for a slow decline into elderly life.

That’s ridiculous.

Look around you and truly get an idea of the 50-year-olds that you see every day. They are running companies, managing teams, writing books, taking care of families, and performing about a million other critical roles throughout society. Even if you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything at 50, do you have any concept of how much time sits in front of you? And for that matter, what does “accomplished anything” really mean? Which metric are you using to measure success?

It’s time to let go of the idea that 50 is somehow old. Contrary to that, most 50-year-olds have confidence in knowing who they are and what they want and are in a better position to get what they want than ever before.

Not only do I intend to show you that life isn’t over at 50, but I also suggest that it’s when it really starts to get good.

Age is just a number

I have family members that have lived into their 90s. And they not just lived but thrived. So in the face of those numbers, 50 is barely middle age. In a world where all of human knowledge is at your fingertips in the form of your phone, you can pivot your life in an instant. If you hate your job, you can find a new one and reinvent yourself. A great deal of the founding principles of America were written by people well past the age of 50. Julia Child herself didn’t learn to cook until her 40s, and every mental image you probably have of her is well into her 50s. Louise Hay started a publishing company at the age of 60! I started this blog at the age of 52:)

Midlife is really a time when things can shift in dramatically incredible ways, and all for the better!

Stop and think for a moment about what makes you different from the 20-year-old you. You probably make more money and have more life experience, and you should certainly have a better understanding of what makes you happy. While there is something to be said for youthful exuberance, 30 years of experience are more powerful than you could possibly imagine.

The rise of remote work and modern technology gives you more places to sell your expertise or market your experience. If you’ve ever thought about writing a book, for instance, it’s never been easier to publish one. Where companies may have overlooked somebody over the age of 40 in the past, it’s now exceedingly easy to find a job that fits your experience. Information technology is a great destroyer of barriers.

Is aging a bad thing?

You might also feel that the younger version of you is more vital. But I guarantee you, a quick Google search will show you a tremendous amount of people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are far healthier than most 20-year-olds. Modern research suggests that age-related physical decline has more to do with a lack of physical activity and a poor diet than it does with the breaking down of our bodies due to age. Joan Benoit Samuelson is a perfect example of the power of physical activity, as she is a beacon within the marathon community at the age of 61.

Your age-related limitations are a result of you and society, not of reality. While there are specific things that might afflict you or affect your situation, the same can be said for people of any age. 50 is not old; your age does not limit you specifically because of how old you are.

You have the power to change your life

One of the worst and best things that humans have ever done was create labels. Labeling things makes it easier to find them, and it makes it easier for us to make sense of them. But one of the downsides of labels is that we give certain attributes to things based on the labels they have without evaluating them on a case-by-case basis.

Many people look at every birthday after the age of 21 as getting older and equate that with a negative impression. The very concept of aging is viewed as negative, but when it comes time to find an expert on literally any subject, most of us would rather go with someone who has more experience.

Even if you have been in the same role in your job or your life for 30 years, nothing is stopping you from changing your mindset and your situation, at least as it pertains to age. You have the same ability, if not more so, to change your vocation at the age of 50 as you did at 20. It truly is about how you view your situation, and as I said, there are a lot of things that go into your life experience, but your age should never be a limiting factor.

Wondering What’s Next

I’ve worked with so many women who find themselves suddenly empty nesters and they feel lost. Their role as “mother” shifts, and they can’t help but wonder—is this it? What now??

So I challenge you: consider what you would want to do with your wildest aspirations and ask yourself how you would go about accomplishing them.

Take a moment to think of what you want:

• Do you want to change your career?
• Interested in publishing a book?
• Does starting a YouTube channel to express your interests sound like fun?

Now I want you to map out the path to doing any one of these things, and then ask yourself how your age is stopping you. If you get to a point in your planning where your age stops you from succeeding, I would be genuinely surprised. The problem is that we have these preconceived notions, and the only thing you can do with preconceived notions is get rid of them.

 

 

Old is about how you feel, not your actual age

Consider what our grandparents looked like at your age—how they dressed, what they were doing, and their activities—it probably conjures up images of an “old” person. You might view your typical person over the age of 50 through the lens of the behaviors of 50+ year-olds when you were younger, which can color your perception of what old means now. For instance, people are retiring older or opting not to retire because they love their careers, and this is largely new—retirement isn’t a given anymore.

So if people are working into their 50s, 60s, and beyond, it doesn’t mean they have to do the same thing for the next 10 or 20 years. Why not change it up, because the only person who can make you feel old is you? If you want to go to college, learn a new skill, or pick up a new language and travel the world, who is stopping you? Do you believe these experiences lack meaning or fulfillment because you’re not “young” anymore, and if so, why?

We tend to create these rules in our lives that simply aren’t true.

The sooner you realize that “old” is a mindset problem, the sooner you can change anything about your life. You will understand that your age as a concept should be the last thing standing between you and love, life, and anything else your heart desires.

 

50 is not old

You probably felt like people in their mid-20s were old when you were a teenager and that people closer to 40 were middle-aged when you were in your 20s. When you got to your mid-20s or your late 30s, did you feel old? Probably not, besides maybe a slightly creakier back and a lot more responsibility.

The fact is that society kind of idolizes youth, but at the end of the day, we do value the experience and expertise that come with being older. Don’t look at 50 and beyond as a slow decline, but rather understand that your age gives you wisdom, clarity, and understanding that you didn’t have when you were younger.

50 is not old, because old doesn’t exist. Old is a state of mind that tells us we can’t when there’s no reason we can’t. Sure, if you have a very specific limitation, like financial or familial obligations, that would prevent a huge life pivot, then those might stop you from changing.

But are they tied to your age? Did you wake up on your birthday with a “50-year-old” ball and chain growing from your leg?

You didn’t, because that’s not real. You have no reason to not pursue your dreams, change your life, or achieve your goals simply because you’re “over the hill.” Right now, let’s reframe that “hill” as all the negative apprehension, stupidity, and ignorance of youth. It’s all the mistakes you made because you didn’t know better and all the learning you needed to do to grow up.

So sure, you might be “over the hill,” but reframed with the proper mindset, it’s a great view from the other side.