I Just Turned 50 – Now What? 7 Changes I Have Made This Year to Improve My Life

Hello, my name is Daniel.? I started using LinkedIn 15 years ago, and until this day I have never had the courage or desire to post something about myself.? I turned 50 this year, and I have made many changes to improve my life.? Here are 7 of them.

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1.??????? Coming Out of My Comfort Zone

I am working on forcing myself to do things that I have avoided in the past, starting with this LinkedIn post. I have been dreading posting something personal on social media. I will challenge myself to start posting several times a week. Who knows if anyone will even read my posts, but I am guessing I will start feeling better and more confident as I continue sharing my thoughts and feelings and talking more about my business and expertise.

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2.??????? ?No More Alcohol

I stopped drinking six months ago, and I can’t begin to describe how much better I feel.? Alcohol is a strange thing.? When you drink, you often make bad choices.? Yet that doesn’t stop you from drinking again.? I have never said to myself I wish I had drank more.? Since I have quit drinking, my sleep, energy, mood, nutrition, and workouts have all drastically improved.

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3.??????? ?Hydration

Staying hydrated is a huge pain.? Drinking enough water every day is not easy! For years, I kept telling myself that I was going to drink more water.? I would have a few days here and there where I did a good job, but no lasting consistency.? I started using an app called Water Llama to track my daily intake, and it has been a game-changer for me.? It is still a challenge, and I have not been perfect, but I certainly notice a difference in being correctly hydrated daily.

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4.??????? ?Sleep

This has been the hardest one for me. We all know how important sleep is. For best results, you should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This is a challenge for me every night. Instead of watching or scrolling on my phone, I read a book. When I get tired, I put on a sound machine and just lie there until I fall asleep. It took a couple of months, but I am now able to fall asleep easier and wake up earlier.

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5.??????? Nutrition

Nutrition is a tough one.? We all know that we need to eat less and make better choices, but it is hard to so.? The most challenging part is getting started (just like writing this post).? I have been focusing on eating three meals a day and eating a lot of protein each meal.? It has gotten easier now that I have been eating healthier for a few weeks.? When you are hungry, everything tastes better.? And junk food, like everything else, has diminishing returns.? The first bite or two is excellent, but is it worth it after that?? I'm not too fond of being too full and use that as motivation to limit my eating and make better choices.

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6.??????? Walking

I have never been much of a walker.? I typically do my cardio at the gym on a machine or taking a class.? Just last week, I started tracking my steps.? It is a fun challenge to get a certain number of steps in each day, and it turns out that walking outside can be a lot of fun. I have taken walks with my wife and kids; it is an excellent time to connect.? Walking is also easier on your joints and requires less energy than other forms of cardio, so you can do more and still have energy for other activities like weight lifting.

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7.??????? Weight Training

I have made a lot of changes in how I am weight training.? I now lift three times per week and focus on full-body workouts.? You are not as sore the next day when you only do one exercise per body part.? When I was dedicating one day to my legs as an example, I was in pain for the next couple of days.? And I was finding that getting in the way of doing things with my children, such as playing pickleball with my son and going on bike rides with my daughter.? I also spend much more time doing stretching and mobility work, which helps me prevent injury and makes my lifting more fruitful.

Conclusion

Baby steps! Do not put much pressure on yourself when looking to improve.? Tackle one thing at a time. The next one may be easier to do once you change one habit and see how much you benefit. If anyone reads my first LinkedIn post, I hope something here resonates with you. I need more practice, but I promised to post this before the weekend.? My heart is pumping, but I am glad I overcame my challenge.

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Please reach out if you need any web design and development help using Joomla or Wordpress Content Management Systems. Have a wonderful weekend and I will be back with my second post next week.

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