Why 40s are great
Being in my 40s was the greatest time for me in terms of career satisfaction and overall confidence and happiness. Keep in mind I was in a bad marriage then and I still consider my 40s the best time. My career was established; I traveled, I took risks in investments; I had a core group of work friends; and I was staying in shape and keeping weight off by regular walking and exercising. Your 40s should be when you really know who you are and what your life is about (why you were put on this planet). I worked hard and there were challenges at work, but I felt confident in doing my job and doing it well. I was passionate about my career and what I did for a living so it was easy to get up in the morning and go to work. So how can you enjoy your 40s? And what can you do to make the most of this sweet spot in your life’s journey?
If you haven’t invested in your health then now is probably your last chance. When you hit your 50s, it is almost impossible to lose weight. Everything in your body starts working against you to get in shape and be healthy. People in their 50s start having joint problems so walking and exercising is more difficult. If you had a poor diet, you may get diagnosed with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or an autoimmune disease. You can only cheat the system for so long by putting garbage food in your body. Eventually, your body will revolt. Take the time in your 40s to meet with a nutritionist and develop a plan to eat healthy and view food as fuel. Start and maintain an exercise program even a 15 minute walk a day is better than nothing.
If you are unhappy at your job, figure out what makes you unhappy at work. Do you dislike your coworkers? One particular coworker? Is it the type of work you do or the company you work for? Is it the hours? Are you away from your family too much? At 40, you can still make a job move and reach a point where you love your career. I use the term love loosely. It may be that you love the paycheck and sort of like what you do. Examine how you feel when you are going to work. If you dread going in every day, or feel undervalued and disrespected at your job, you still have time to make a switch. When I worked at the local community college, we would get people in their 30s and 40s that retrained for new careers. Really examine how you feel about your job and how you make a living. You have too much life left to hate going into work every day.
Check your retirement accounts and start planning ahead. You should be earning good money in your 40s and hopefully you work somewhere that offers you the opportunity to save and put money directly into a retirement account so you save on taxes. If for some reason you have not put anything aside for retirement, you need to do some serious catch up. Social security benefits are nothing!!!! You need to have a retirement account to supplement your federal benefits. You may even want to talk to a financial advisor to see what you need to do in order to meet goals in your 50s and 60s. Today we live so much longer and I have seen many people out live their money. It pays to plan ahead. You may also want to look into long-term care insurance. Long-term care insurance will protect your savings from the costs of living in a nursing home or an assisted-living facility. Currently, the going price where I live for assisted-living is about 6,000 to 8,000 a month. This is for 24-hour round the clock care for people who have trouble walking, bathing, dressing, taking medications and other daily living activities. If you wait too long, you may not be able to find a policy.
Develop your support network of medical providers and a core group of personal relationships with family and friends. When the chips are down, who can you count on and go to? Hopefully, you have a good primary care doctor, dentist, and eye doctor who will keep you in good health. Remember, some health conditions pop up in your 50s and you will need this team of professionals to help you. You may also have a therapist so you can vent about tough relationships or improve certain behaviors. I mention therapy because I have seen many people in their 20s and 30s vent to their friends and family so often that it strains the relationships. Besides, some stuff is better left unsaid to your buddy from work that you grab a drink with every Friday. Let your friends and family be a place for positive experiences and happy memories (rather than bitch sessions). Also, if your energy levels are low and you need a break from family or friends, do not be afraid to say “no” especially if it feels more like an obligation than something you are looking forward to experiencing. Time spent alone with your spouse/partner and children is important at this time too.
While you have regular income, knock out some of those bucket list trips. In my 40s is when I did the most travel to other countries. I also traveled within the United States for work and would add a day onto those work trips to explore before I went home. If you want to see the Grand Canyon, or drive along the West Coast, or go to the major European cities for a 10-day tour, now would be a good time to work in a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Hopefully, you’ve been at your career long enough that you have 2-4 weeks of vacation time (yes, some places give you that much vacation if you area long-term employee). Enjoy traveling now while you have the money and health to do it.
