50 by 50: What I’ve Learned
... and what I’m still figuring out!
I hit 50 years old today, and I’m glad to say I’m not detecting any midlife crisis! Just another opportunity to make a birthday list of things I’ve learned, or at least started to take seriously.
Enjoy…
Turning 50 is halftime in the game of life. Go make the second half count.
Hitting 50 makes you honest about what actually matters—and ruthless about what doesn’t.
Reading is never wasted time.
You don’t outgrow your dreams, but you do learn to schedule them better.
A Kindle device is a desert island pick.
Most emails can be ignored.
At 50, the pull to be your own boss doesn’t fade—it becomes more focused, more deliberate, and a lot less naïve.
Walking the dog is the only time in the day when no one’s asking where their charger is or what’s for tea.
If you can, have kids. It’s a roller coaster of an experience with highs and lows but a ride you’ll never regret.
Your wife doesn’t need you to fix everything. Listening counts.
Go to church.
Knowing your Bible doesn’t make you old-fashioned. It makes you rooted.
Supporting Leeds United is mostly pain, occasionally hope, and somehow still voluntary.
An E Ink book is a book.
Fame isn’t the goal. Impact is.
Success isn’t measured by view counts—but it’s nice when they go up.
Writing regularly clears the mental fog.
You don’t need to post everything you think.
Shallow content might win clicks. Depth earns trust.
Polished branding means nothing if the substance isn’t there.
Do what God says to do, it’s just better that way.
Most tech upgrades are just distractions in nicer packaging.
The difference between good and great is thoughtful editing.
Jesus isn’t part of life. He is life.
Technology should serve you, not consume you.
Boundaries aren’t optional—they’re survival.
Consistency beats inspiration.
Ignore your health long enough, and it’ll put itself on the agenda.
By 50, you’ve traded energy for perspective—and that’s a fair deal.
You can’t do everything. So do what matters.
Bitterness is heavy. Forgiveness lets you drop the weight.
At 50, you don’t create to prove anything—you create because it’s how you think.
Small, faithful things build a life.
A tidy desk leads to a tidy mind.
You’ll always wish you started earlier. Start anyway.
People respect clarity. So be clear.
Time isn’t the enemy. Wasting it is.
Everyone’s making stuff up. Some are just better at hiding it.
You don’t need to go viral. You need to connect.
Be the same person online and off.
Saying “no” is a healthy discipline.
Good coffee makes life 3% better.
You don’t need everyone’s approval.
The algorithm isn’t your boss.
Owning a dog is great. So get another.
Writing is hard. So is not writing.
Marriage gets better when you don’t keep score.
Truth doesn’t change. Hold onto it.
People remember stories, not stats.
Life at 50 isn’t about slowing down. It’s about choosing your pace.
If any of these hit home, or if you’ve got your own hard-earned lessons, drop a comment. I would love to hear what you’ve learned along the way too.
It took me until my late 40s to realise what I actually really enjoy doing—and now my dream is to turn that into something full-time in my 50s. Bit late to the party, maybe, but better than never showing up at all, right?
If you enjoy what I share on here, on YouTube (youtube.com/@mark_kelly), or on my socials, and want to help me keep going (and growing), you can support me with a monthly subscription on Substack or buy me a regular virtual coffee at buymeacoffee.com/markdkelly75.
Either way—thanks for reading, watching, or just being here.
Mark.
Please support my work and enable me to keep writing content like this by tapping here: BuyMeACoffee
