Being thirty and younger, it’s easy to forget that we will at some point in the not-so-distant future, be fifty. We will all one day wake up and claim the ripe age of five-zero and wonder where the years have gone. With the age milestone seeming so far away, it is easy to forget that as we get older, life often gets harder and things that we could once do in five minutes will now take us fifteen.
However, there are some things you can start doing now to make your life better in your 50s. You can thank us later.
1. Exercise more
Sure, at 30 you may be able to eat as much as you like without ever really putting on weight and rarely needed to exercise, but once you get to 50, the middle-aged spread will hit and without regular exercise, this could cause many health issues. Start exercising now and make it a part of your lifestyle, in twenty years your body will thank you for it.
2. Work on your familial relationships
It’s easy for us to drift apart from our parents or siblings, but when you are fifty and they may not be around anymore, you will regret the days spent without them.
Build, rebuild or maintain your relationships, particularly with your parents. Looking back and having regrets is one of the worst things you could possibly do, so pick up the phone and start working on them now.
3. Save money
If you haven’t already started saving money, start now. The earlier you can start saving, the better. You never know when you’re going to need a safety net to fall back on, or a pension fund to live off when you can no longer work. Whilst this seems a long way away, the more you can save now, the better your quality of life will be when you get older.
4. Travel
Despite advising you to save as much money as you can, it will also improve your life to travel. If you have dreams of setting off around the globe, there is no better time than the present.
If you wait too long, you may be unable to go where you want to go and besides, who doesn’t want to sit down with their grandchildren and tell them stories of that time you went walking through the colorful Indian streets?
5. Keep a journal
There’s nothing better than having your life documented so you can look back on it in years to come and see what you did on a particular day, or how much you have changed.
Writing down the dates, with some key moments from that day or your thoughts and feelings may come in useful in the future. If you’d prefer to focus on positive, make a note of 3 positive things that happen to you each day so that when you look back on your journals, you’ll have proof that you lived a great life.
6. Take photographs
Similar to number 5, memories are one of the most treasured possessions and, if you’re taking photographs of everything and everyone around you, you’ll have more to remember when you’re old and grey.
Just don’t forget to enjoy your surroundings – it’s okay to just enjoy being somewhere without feeling like you need to constantly have your camera stuck to your hand.
7. Buy property
One of the best ways to spend your money is on property. Buy yourself a house, whether it’s through a mortgage or outright buying it if you’re lucky enough. If you buy a house at 30, by 50 you will have almost paid it off, and owning your own place is much better than throwing rental money at a landlord each month.
Combine that with the property prices constantly rising and falling, your house could be worth triple what you paid for it when you come to sell it. Buying means you’re not only taking care of your future by ensuring you have a stable roof over your head, but you’re also giving your children and grandchildren something in the process.
8. Develop good friendships
As you get older, you learn the meaning of true friendship and whilst many people will have been and gone throughout your lifetime, there will hopefully be a few that are still around when you’re 50. Treasure and work on these friendships now and you’ll be forever grateful.
9. Learn to cook
If you’re the kind of person who grabs a sandwich or gets a takeout instead of cooking, take time out of your busy life to learn how to cook a few good staple meals. Being older means you may not have the resources to constantly eat on the go, so learning to cook some basic meals now will come in very handy in the future.
10. Be kind
Who doesn’t want to look back on their life and know wholeheartedly they did everything in their power to be kind and help others? Start now and go out of your way to help somebody every day. You will feel happier within yourself and in the future, you’ll be proud of who you are.
With twenty years to go from 30 to 50, it seems like a long time away. However, laying the foundations now will ensure a better life later, for you and your children. What can you do to improve your life at 50?