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What are 40 things I should be doing when I turn 40?

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Turning 40 soon and this gives me immense anxiety.

What are 40 things to be done so that I ensure my 40s are a smooth sailing?

What would help improve the quality of life? I am aware of a few, but using this post to brain storm a bit.

Using this as a constructive post that could help others as well. Thank You.

Comments

  1. AutoModerator Avatar
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  2. BigswingingClick Avatar
    BigswingingClick

    Get a check up. Blood work etc. never know what might be lingering.

  3. MonasteryatLarge Avatar
    MonasteryatLarge

    Don’t make a list of 40 things to do, for starters. My 40s are teaching me that life is about being, not doing.

  4. cammotoe Avatar
    cammotoe

    If you’re not already doing it, start commuting by bicycle. The physical and mental health benefits you receive from doing this are substantial.

  5. Cavsfan724 Avatar
    Cavsfan724

    40 is a lot, maybe start with 4 LOL

  6. UnkleJrue Avatar
    UnkleJrue

    I think it’s about staying in shape mentally and physically. Stretching exercising sleeping right eating a balanced healthy diet limiting alcohol and just feeling good.

  7. Pristine-Test-3370 Avatar
    Pristine-Test-3370

    Why 40s. You won’t be able to prioritize with that many. Make it 7 or 10 or 12 but not more. Do less but do it better.

    I hope you are not aiming for 50 things when you turn 50. At that rate you won’t live to 70!

  8. toughenupbutttercup Avatar
    toughenupbutttercup

    Stretch. Exercise.

  9. Low-Captain1721 Avatar
    Low-Captain1721

    Without giving any context of your life and circumstances it’s probably a difficult question.. 

    Turning 40 no different from turning 39 or 41 or any other age for that matter. 

    I’m not far off mid forties. 

    There’s all the clichés and perceived online projected standards of how you ‘should’ live your life but you need to work it out for yourself irl. 

    Apologies if you don’t think this is a constructive comment.. 😃

  10. baltikboats Avatar
    baltikboats

    Go play all your old save games and use up all your items you were saving.

  11. sfvdoc Avatar
    sfvdoc

    Travel. As you get older it gets more complicated.

  12. UnhappyEquivalent400 Avatar
    UnhappyEquivalent400

    Slow down your morning routine a little bit. Taking time for an unhurried cup of coffee with the sun on your face is one of life’s great simple pleasures, and one I never made time for until I was 40.

  13. Low-Reindeer-3347 Avatar
    Low-Reindeer-3347

    things? Like bucket list? Or like brush your teeth and go to the doctor?

  14. TurpitudeSnuggery Avatar
    TurpitudeSnuggery

    Stretching everyday, exercising, drinking water, limiting alcohol or drug use, make strong connections with friends or family, be in a well paying job, prioritize saving/investing, reduce spending, meditate weekly, listen to your body, eat healthy, go to the doctor,

  15. donutkhl Avatar
    donutkhl

    I haven’t turned 40 but when I turned thirty-ten, I just kept doing what I did in my 30s

  16. adhd_ceo Avatar
    adhd_ceo

    Let’s get right to it. You’re gonna die one day, so let’s get fucking going!

    1.  Wake up before dawn to watch the sunrise from a mountain ridge.
2.  Go skydiving at first light.
3.  Hike an unmarked trail with only a map and compass.
4.  Sleep overnight under the open sky—no tent, just a bivy sack.
5.  Bungee-jump off a landmark bridge.
6.  Take a spontaneous one-day road trip with no set destination.
7.  Scuba-dive a shipwreck or shark-populated reef.
8.  Zip-line through a jungle canopy.
9.  Learn to surf on a big-wave break.
10. Paraglide off a coastal cliff.
11. Cage-dive with great white sharks (or other apex species).
12. Explore a wild cave system by headlamp only.
13. Swim with bioluminescent plankton at night.
14. Rent a vintage convertible and drive a scenic highway.
15. Take a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise.
16. White-water raft a class-IV or V river.
17. Camp on a remote island—no electricity, no phone.
18. Book a last-minute flight to a country you’ve never visited.
19. Eat street-food you can’t pronounce, blindfolded.
20. Sleep in an ice hotel or desert “glamping” pod.
21. Dance in the rain until you’re soaked through.
22. Sing karaoke on a crowded street corner.
23. Join an impromptu flash mob or street performance.
24. Take an unplanned detour on your daily commute.
25. Buy a lottery ticket on a whim (and relish the thrill of possibility).
26. Paint a mural or canvas using only your hands.
27. Cook a dish from a culture you know nothing about.
28. Fly a kite from a rooftop or cliff edge.
29. Write and mail a postcard to a stranger.
30. Volunteer for a cause that pushes you out of your comfort zone.
31. Listen to a live concert of a genre you normally wouldn’t.
32. Hold a newborn animal at a wildlife sanctuary.
33. Take a midnight swim in a safe, moonlit lake.
34. Hike to a hidden waterfall and slide down the rocks.
35. Take a high-speed train through a foreign landscape.
36. Spend an hour barefoot—on grass, sand or rock—just feeling the earth.
37. Smell every flower in a botanical garden, one by one.
38. Stand on a skyscraper’s observation deck and lean over the glass floor.
39. Tell a stranger a genuine, unexpected compliment.
40. Go to a music festival and fuck someone random.
  17. Character-Bridge-206 Avatar
    Character-Bridge-206

    I would say stop treating life like a To Do list. Life is different for all of us. I was married with a kid and a house at 40. Plenty of people I know did not go that route. The one thing I will say is by 40, you should have a pretty good idea who YOU are and what YOU really want out of life. That’s what’s most important.

  18. BrooklynDoug Avatar
    BrooklynDoug

    Stretch.

    Weights and cardio are nobrainers. Just don’t forget to stretch.

  19. SlimRoTTn Avatar
    SlimRoTTn

    Start taking vitamins, they’re better than energy drinks.

  20. BartBeachGuy Avatar
    BartBeachGuy

    Buy an expensive small foreign car

  21. free_da_guys1107 Avatar
    free_da_guys1107

    Stretch, stretch, stretch every day. Then stretch some more.

  22. DoubleResponsible276 Avatar
    DoubleResponsible276

    Breathing

  23. TJayClark Avatar
    TJayClark

    Honestly, you don’t need a list of 40

    -Workout

    -Save/invest 15%+ of your paycheck

    -Sleep 7-8 hours every night

    -Be kind to everyone

    -If you want something, take actionable steps to get it

    Everything beyond that is just being a human

  24. Gh0styD0g Avatar
    Gh0styD0g

    Sleep more, get your health in order if it isn’t, you want to
    Be going into your 50s in til top condition .

  25. brkrpaunch Avatar
    brkrpaunch

    It should be obvious, but save money for retirement. Be as aggressive as possible with it. Consider taking up yoga, even if it’s just to improve your balance. It’s mind-boggling how many older people (70+) I know have injured themselves in falls. For the longest time I thought it was either bad luck or just seniors being clumsy. Nope, balance issues are real and prevalent. Finally, invest in a large stack of greeting cards and forever stamps to keep on hand. This makes it incredibly easy to send out birthday, congratulations, holiday, thank you, and condolence messages. I started doing this when I was 35-36, after hearing more and more about the ‘loneliness epidemic’ as we age. Plus I was just really tired of going to Walgreens every single time a special occasion rolled around. People absolutely love receiving handwritten mail, it has a positive impact mentally, and started paying an insane amount of dividends socially.

  26. slwrthnu_again Avatar
    slwrthnu_again

    As someone that turned 40 a month and a half ago number 1 on your list should be not making that list. Stop giving a fuck about what other people think you should have done by now and just go enjoy your life.

  27. Sad_Construction_668 Avatar
    Sad_Construction_668

    Yoga/ Pilates/ low impact core training.

    Flexibility training.

    See your doctor 1-2 a year, ask for blood work.

    Learn to cook your favorite cuisine.

    Go over your finances with a CPA.

    Get massages at least once a quarter.

    Do a completely different vacation than you’ve done before.

    Whether or not you have kids, do some study or take a class on human development. Be ready and able to assist any friends with kids, whether you’re “into “ having your own kids or not. Basic competency with parenting and child raising makes you much more satisfied and plugged into your community. You’re a more viable spouse and: or dating prospect.

    See a therapist and engage your thoughts and feelings about the end of your parent’s life and aging.
    So much middle aged pain is caused by people being avoidant about loss and disability.

    Try new art and music. If you’ve been listening to the same stuff since college, you’re no longer engaging art, you’re cultivating nostalgia.

    Fill in your gaps with knotcraft and fire building.

    Try to gaze into your romantic partners eyes for a minute . If either one of you can’t do it, have a conversation about why.

    Even if you have a strained relationship with your siblings, tell them that you love them. Don’t let them into your life if they’re dangerous or toxic, but bitterness with siblings is so corrosive for so many people as they age.

  28. Michaelsoft8inbows Avatar
    Michaelsoft8inbows

    Enjoy life

  29. 7242233 Avatar
    7242233

    Save more money
    Run more
    Walk more
    Do yoga more
    Call parents family more
    Prioritize time with friends more
    Eat more fruits and veggies
    Go to more concerts
    Go to more ball games
    Volunteer more.
    Go on more dates

  30. JRswedistan Avatar
    JRswedistan

    10-15k steps a day
    Dont overeat
    Workout
    Stay in touch with those friends that matters
    Have atleast 1 budget ”meeting” a year where you check-in on your current and future economy so you play accoringly to your goals
    Make sure you save for retirement
    Read
    Laugh

  31. Illustrious-End4657 Avatar
    Illustrious-End4657

    Ask your doctor to go knuckle deep in your butthole, for health.

  32. The666thMerrick Avatar
    The666thMerrick

    Taking care of yourself should be more of a priority from this point on. When I turned 40, I felt like I started falling apart physically. Go get a medical check up and always get it done annually. Ask your doctor about when you should get a colonoscopy.

    Get your eyes checked regularly as well. When I turned 44, I started to need bifocals.

    Remember that you’re not in your 20-30s, and remember that certain physical activities can start to be painful to your back and/or joints. If you’re already pretty physically fit, it shouldn’t be as much of an issue. Just keep in mind that you’ll start feeling impact on your joints more.

    Don’t let your weight get out of control. When I turned 41, I retired from the military. I stopped working out and worrying about eating right. I gained about 40 lbs and I felt it badly. My knees hurt when going up and down stairs, I was sweating way more, my hypertension got worse and I started creeping up on needing to take meds for cholesterol. I also developed a gut. Last October, I started working on losing weight using Intermittent Fasting. About 4 months later, I was back down and less than my weight from when I retired from the military. I can feel the difference in my knees. I no longer sweat as easily. My hypertension is way more under control and my cholesterol is normal. I don’t have a gut and can finally wear clothes that I had sitting in my closet that I couldn’t wear anymore. I’m knocking on 50, so don’t let yourself believe that you’re too old to lose weight.

    Make sure you’re getting enough fiber. That should be for anyone, not just the 40+ crowd. My digestive health would have been so much better in my younger years if I just had more fiber in my diet.

    Call your parents. I lost my dad last year and have a lot of regrets of not spending more time with him or talking to him more. He was never much of a talker, but that shouldn’t have been an excuse.

  33. zodwallopp Avatar
    zodwallopp

    Get up and move your body everyday, just a walk or some shopping is fine. Don’t bed rot.

    Examine your relationships and identify which ones are good and which are detrimental. Do they love you for you or just what you can provide?

    Go to the doctor. Your body is officially in the ‘shit is breaking down’ stage. Medications and monitoring will keep you alive.

  34. Hung-kee Avatar
    Hung-kee

    Cliches abound but, stop worrying about the future. Whatever your age, we all have a finite amount of days in our lives with even fewer of those days lived in good health. Decide what matters the most to you and do more of it. Enjoy each day within itself. Decide which of your dreams is most achievable and set a deadline to have realised it. We’re all so focused on the end game that we forget to enjoy the journey.

  35. fermat9990 Avatar
    fermat9990

    Blow out 40 birthday candles

  36. Eatdie555 Avatar
    Eatdie555

    Be self motivated to take care of yourself in all perspective of your life first and foremost over anything and everything. Hold the reigns to your life. don’t wait for others to tell you. tell yourself to wake up and get going on whatever you’re trying to do at any point of your life.. even if you don’t “Feel” like so. “feeling” is temporary.. A strong mindset is forever more beneficial to you. doesn’t matter at what age. Because a healthy mindset will help you have a healthy lifestyle.

  37. NeverForScience Avatar
    NeverForScience

    The same things you should be doing in your 30s…

  38. pricklypearblossom Avatar
    pricklypearblossom

    Invest in your health now!! Just walking helps. Your 80 year old self will thank you.

  39. FishYouWereHere777 Avatar
    FishYouWereHere777

    Eat healthy food, learn to cook and gain knowledge about different cuisines. A 40 year old person is expected to have a refined taste of food.

  40. Red_K8ng Avatar
    Red_K8ng

    It’s been my best age so far. I don’t settle for anything anymore, I don’t give a fuck what people think, I do whatever I want (as long as it doesn’t harm people of course), I support the younger members of my family as the other adults are emotional inept. I’m less defensive, calmer, and enjoy life more.

  41. tylerdurdin58 Avatar
    tylerdurdin58

    If you haven’t tried drugs yet I’d highly recommend doing that 40 is a good age to start

  42. Innuendum Avatar
    Innuendum

    Not living in a warzone would be a start.

    Consider not getting sick.

    Avoid getting struck by lightning.

    Maybe don’t get in a car crash.

    Planning for smooth sailing is an illusion. Curveballs are the definition of life, sadly. 

    So 1 out of 40: make peace with the universe being uncaring and basically everything being out of your control.

  43. Libra224 Avatar
    Libra224

    Women