Reading books. I used to be so into it as a kid, but once I got to my teen years I just couldn't anymore. Every few years I try again and manage to read a few books, but then just stop and never go back. Just last year I tried again, read 10 books, and then just stopped.
this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2026
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I wanted to be a comic book artist. I can draw, I don't do it as often as I should, and I'm not bad at it. I wanted to make comic books, get them published at an independent level, and maybe someone would read them. I could just never finish anything I started. I'd have all these great ideas for a story but I would just end up word vomiting them on a page and didn't know how to expand on it or draw it out. Same thing when I'd try to write a story/novel. How could I create something with several chapters when I just spew everything out within a few pages. So I gave up.
Skateboarding. I was into punk in middle/high-school, some of my friends were skateboarders, but I never bought a board. I'm pushing 40 now and it's way too late to start, even as a midlife crisis.
I'm pushing 40 now and it's way too late to start, even as a midlife crisis.
What? "Pushing 40" is very literally PRIME mid-life crisis timing. Go buy a fuckin' board, just take it easy on your joints.
Oh, no, I agree that I'm primed for a midlife crisis, but it's way too late to start skateboarding. I'm in pretty good shape, eat fairly healthy, exercise regularly, etc., but I can't shake off an a injury like I did in my teens or twenties. I'm not risking permanently messing up my knees learning how to ollie.
That has been one of the most eye opening things for me in my mid forty’s now. Small injuries I used to shake off same day/over night take weeks/months to fully heal up anymore. I’m significantly more careful and purposeful when using ladders or even just regular chores around the house to keep from straining a joint or ligament. I tweaked my MCL stepping on the edge of my stairs wrong shortly after having to use a cane for a couple months due to a hip injury. That was like two months ago and the ligament is mostly feeling fine now and I can do strength exercises with that leg again but holy shit, this whole thing from when I originally overworked/inflamed my hip cutting down/removing a tree would have never even impacted me five+ years ago and it’s like five months to recover. So yeah, I’m more careful and make sure I take breaks now. It’s just not worth it, slow, careful, and purposeful for me going forward.
Knitting
Proper/healthy cooking. Sports.
Woodworking. Maybe some day.
Upcycling. There's just so much stuff we throw away and I currently have no creative hobbies where I am producing something... I might start this year.
Learning to play an instrument.
Reading some of these replies, it seems people are only focusing on half of the process of learning an instrument.
Its not just the instrument you need to learn, it's how to read sheet music as well. Most likely, you're not going to find the exact coords to play with the delay in between written as seconds for the song you want. Its going to be in the format of sheet music, with the notes and other symbols.
That takes time to learn, like learning a new language. It's something you need to learn either before or while learning an instrument, and that is something that can put a lot of people off.
It's never too late
It does require some time investment but it's so rewarding.
How does one get started assuming one already has a guitar? I tried reading tabs but i'm just so slow and even when I do get it, it doesn't sound right.
Justonguitar.comis how I learned to play and is frequently suggested for beginners. Its a free srructured couse, that will teach you everything you need to know.
Playing guitar is incredibly difficult, and having an actual teacher would save you countless hours, but its possible to teach yourself, just keep at it.
The only way to get better is to keep trying 🤷♂️ you'll start slow and hitting wrong notes n, eventually it'll be slow and right, until eventually it's almost fast enough.
Also, look for a guitar teacher 🤷♂️ lessons are generally not that expensive and just a few can really get you started
Find a music teacher in real life. There is no substitute. They will be able to see very subtle things in your technique that are hindering you. They can give you feedback in real time. Video lessons from the greatest guitarist will not come close to in-person lessons from a decent guitarist.
Also make friends with other guitarists and play music with them. Music is a social thing.
I got lessons to start off with and it helped a lot. Then years later I tried to learn jazz on my own and I was hopeless. Six months with a teacher got me to where 3 years on my own would have gotten me. The teacher identified gaps in my skills I was completely blind to - I'd have reinforced my strengths while ignoring my weaknesses.
100% this. I "played" guitar and bass for about 20 years, doing tabs and YouTube lessons. I could do plenty of stuff passably, and have been in a few bands and played a few shows in public that went fine.
I got a Rhodes piano for free, and started doing the same learning on my own. My wife signed me up for 6 months of lessons with a real teacher as a gift. I learned so much in my now 2+years with her than the 20 years on my own.
You can get any lesson you want somewhere online, but it isn't tailored to you or what you want/need to learn.
My teacher asks me what my goals are, and she figures out how to get me there. She sees where I'm at, can pick pieces and lessons to study that aren't too hard or too easy, and corrects me before bad habits set in. I've learned the benefits of reading sheet music vs tabs, I've learned scales and how to apply them, and everything I learn is in proper order to allow it to make sense!
As I spend more time learning with her, all the random stuff I "learned" in my own actually clicks into place because I'm getting taught it all in proper context. It's like building a kit by having someone read you the instructions step by step as opposed to you just opening a box full of pieces and trying to figure out what it is you're building randomly as you go.
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I picked up the guitar during Covid, in my 60s. Over 5 years later, and I'm at about an intermediate level, and very happy with my progress.
Thanks to You Tube, learning an instrument has never been easier, especially the guitar. The best guitar teachers in the world are all over YouTube, with plenty of free content. I'm sure it's the same with any instrument.
If you want to, do it.
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Working out 🏋️♀️
I find it excruciatingly boring
Id literally rather piss my own pants
Luckily i can do neither as well
I think the key to exercise is finding a recreational activity that is physically active rather than trying to make yourself go to the gym. Barring that, tying gym time with something enjoyable like listening to audio books helps make it at least a little rewarding.
Id literally rather piss my own pants
Well, you can't spell "watersports" without "sports".
I don't particularly love brushing my teeth twice a day,but its something you've gotta do. I do very much dislike not brushing my teeth. It's not worth being lazy about it. I also hate feeling unfit and stiff and weak.
Brushing your teeth takes 2 minutes. They tell you to spend a whole 30 minutes a day working out. 30 minutes of boredom, discomfort, pain and agony.
30 minutes a day for a lifetime of feeling healthy and unlocking the opportunity to live a longer life... Also endorphins are a thing.
This is a perspective that I'm likely too exercise-pilled to understand.
Don't worry I got your back. I haaaaaate working out. Every second of it. It's miserable, boring, tiring, and gross and sweaty.
However, since I started doing it I hate to admit that I am more energetic in everything else, I move easier, I'm not winded going up stairs, I'm happier, all the tripe they tell you is true.
It's not 30 minutes because you have to enjoy it, it's 30 minutes that improve the other 23.5 hours a day
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Sailing. Flying a plane.
Sailing canoe rigs can be fun, and you might be able to find a decently cheap Sunfish or Laser and have loads of fun.
The plane one is a bit tougher.
The plane one is a bit tougher.
Gliders/sailplanes should be reasonably accessible.
Both great fun.
- Flying can be expensive and highly technical depending on where you are and what you fly. I had a blast while flying, got some good trips in, was able to give most of my family the experience. I gave it up when I had kids because of the priority change
- I suppose sailing too depending. I did some sailing out of Boston harbor and had a blast but they were bigger boats, more expensive. Actually the place I rented from organized extended trips down the coast and my regret was not taking any
I never got into rock n roll the way I got into sex and drugs.
Skateboarding. Wingsuit flying. BASE jumping.
All seem like SO much fun. But, Im entering middle age with two kids. Broken bones are not fun. Nor are risks not covered by my insurance, apparently. That's what my partner tells me anyway. She gets final say on fun.
Or, the insurance company does. Whichever. They're on the same side: against injury. And fun.
Skate- and/or long- boarding can be relatively safe in a fairly controlled environment. There's no shame in getting fully decked out in protective gear and pads.
Rallycross. The day may come, but right now I have several higher priorities and more important places to put my money.
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Pottery!
Nothing is stopping you from picking up some air-dry clay and making pinch pots if you can't swing for a wheel for some reason and don't have access to a kiln (although air-dry can also be thrown on a wheel). It's not like plaster, paper mache, or tile mosaics/stepping stones that need a lot of room to spread out due to just how messy those projects specifically can be.
Dancing. I am very envious at the ease certain people demonstate when dancing. The complete control of their body, the syncing with the music, the beauty of the mouvements. I am not talking classical dancing or elaborate choreography, only knowing how to dance really well at parties.
You say complete control of their body, but a lot of times people who dance well at parties don't try hard to control their bodies, they would say the music flows through them, or they stop caring what they're doing and just let their bodies move
I get the flowing with the music part. Some people seem so in tune that it looks like they have a lot of practice
I started dancing 2 years ago in my early 30s. Salsa/bachata specifically. Never danced a step before then (or at least: not while sober). After a 2 years of practise, I now regularly get compliments at the festivals/parties, and the ladies at the dance school like it when I'm joining the lessons, since I can lead well. I'm still no expert, but I certainly get a lot of joy from it. And for the record: I'm a slightly overweight nerd who is certainly not nimble or agile. I also hate rythm games, I suck at those, but dancing on the beat is so much easier!
My point is: it's worth trying. Find a dance school that teaches salsa and/or bachata, and go for it. If you find the right people, you will stay motivated, and it gets more and more fun!
Sounds fun, I'll try joining. It'just that you have to make choices because weeks have only 7 days...
For me it was: Goth and the kink scene (not necessarily both together). Also I wanted to collect collectibles, but clutter and choctky drive me crazy.
You're never too old to dye your hair and paint your nails black.
Tile mosaics would be really fun (I never even made a stepping stone in grade school), but it's way too messy between mixing up cement and pouring it out into molds of some type in order to stick the tiles into, let alone smashing up a bunch of big tiles into shards to use for such a project, to be feasible atm, ditto for anything dealing with plaster.
Paper mache, a medium I haven't messed with since middle school, would also be really fun to pick up again some day, but just like plaster and tile mosaics/stepping stones, it's also too messy to be feasible right now; not only will you have paste dripping everywhere due to the nature of paper mache as a medium, but you're also going to at least be up to your wrists in it, possibly up to your elbows depending on how big you're going, but you're also basically playing in slime all day with that project which is why it's as fun as it is.
In hindsight I wish I would have learned some charisma and became a cult leader.
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