I turned 49 this year. Not 30, when you still think you have forever. Not 60, when retirement starts feeling real. Forty-nine—that in-between year when you’re still working full-time, the kids have moved out, and you suddenly have this strange combination of freedom and urgency.
You know the feeling. That moment when you realize you’ve been saying “one day” to things for twenty years, and “one day” is actually… now.
This isn’t a midlife crisis. I’m not buying a sports car or quitting my job to find myself. But I am done putting things off. Done waiting for the perfect time. Done letting weeks blur into months while the good intentions pile up like unopened mail.
So I made a list. Not a bucket list—those always feel too big and unattainable. This is a 50 before 50 list. Fifty things I’m going to actually do, fix, give, or experience before I turn 50. Some are big. Most are small. All of them matter.
Why 50 Before 50?
Here’s what I realized: at this age, we have something we didn’t have in our 30s—time. Real time. Not the stolen moments between baseball practices and parent-teacher conferences. Actual evenings and weekends that belong to us.
But we also have something we didn’t have in our 20s—perspective. We know what matters. We know what doesn’t. We know which experiences are worth chasing and which things can wait forever.
This list isn’t about proving anything or checking boxes for social media. It’s about being intentional with this year. About making sure that when I blow out 50 candles, I can look back and say, “Yeah, I actually lived that year.”
The List: 50 Things Before 50
Health & Fitness (Taking Care of This Body)
- Get a colonoscopy — it’s now in the books and it was not my favorite
- Run in another 5K and PR — spend time preparing
- Do 50 push-ups in a row — by the time I turn 50
- Bike 50 miles in a day — get that bike first
- Strengthen my core — functional fitness for the long haul
Travel & Adventure (Using That Freedom)
- Visit three new countries — the world won’t wait (My favorite trip website for booking Klook )
- Take at least two spontaneous weekend trips — because we can
- Explore more of Georgia — small towns, great food, backroads
- Plan a great road trip — see where the open road takes us
- Take a class while traveling — cooking, biking, candle making, or anything local
- See a sunrise and sunset on the same day somewhere new — experience a full day
- Visit one bucket-list city I’ve always wanted to see — stop postponing it
- Visit all 50 states — I just have Alaska left
- Take a hot air balloon ride — face the fear, enjoy the view
- Visit one place that surprises me — no expectations, just discover
- Take a “no notice travel roulette trip” — pick a random destination and go
- Take a completely spontaneous day trip — no planning, just go
Marriage & Family (What Actually Matters)
- Celebrate 27 years married — March 5, 2026 — she deserves it
- Visit both kids where they live — no agenda, just time together
- Write each of them a letter before I turn 50 — things they should know
- Take a dance class with my wife — even if I am terrible at it
- Start one new “us” tradition that we’ll keep after 50 — something just ours
- Learn something new with my wife — class, skill, or hobby together
Connection & Community (Giving & Sharing)
- Host dinners with friends once a month — just food and conversation
- Invite friends over for baking classes — create that moment
- Teach a cooking class — share skills beyond my circle
- Bake something each month and deliver it to friends and neighbors — connection through food
- Send handwritten thank-you notes to those who made a difference — express gratitude
- Volunteer as a couple — one day of giving back together
- Continue to volunteer and share my experiences — hands-on, not just writing a check
- Spend a day helping someone move or clean out their space — give your time
- Help someone fix or build something — just to be helpful
- Mentor someone at work or through church/community — pass it forward
Creative Projects (Building & Making)
- Try one new recipe every month — not fancy, just different
- Compile my favorite 50 recipes to share — the ones I actually make and love
- Finally make that podcast — time to put your voice out there
- Start a YouTube channel — create the best experiences and stories
- Release my blog and launch my passion project — there is no better time than now
- Create something online with my dad’s photography — honor his legacy
- Create something with my hands I’ve never made — woodwork, art, something tangible
- Organize and digitize photos of the kids through the years — before it’s too late (Read about it HERE)
- Make photo books for the years of travel — preserve those memories
Home & Life Organization (Finally Finish What We Started)
- Get our will completed — we do not want to end up not being prepared if something happens
- Finish organizing the house — closets, garage, and files
- Sort through old photos and keepsakes — and let some go, not everything needs keeping
- Write out the stories behind a few keepsakes — before they’re forgotten
- Finish that one project I keep putting off around the house — everyone has one, and I have a big one
Experiences & Moments (Living Fully)
- Go to a new sporting event or concert — And get the full experience
- Journal once a week — even short notes
- Write down 10 memories from this year that I want to remember — before they fade
- Celebrate turning 50 with the people who matter most — end the year right
Here’s what I’m NOT doing:
- I’m not quitting my job. I still work full-time. These things fit into real life.
- I’m not spending a fortune. Some of these cost nothing. Some cost a little. None require going broke.
- I’m not making this a social media performance. Some things I’ll share, some I won’t. This is for me, not for likes.
- I’m not being rigid. If something doesn’t happen exactly as planned, that’s fine. The point is momentum, not perfection.
If you’re in your late 40s like me, you know this feeling. The house is quieter. Your time is your own again. You look around and realize you’ve been so busy raising kids and building a career that you forgot to plan for… this. The after.
Some people panic. Some people drift. I’m choosing to be intentional.
This list isn’t about cramming in as much as possible before some imaginary deadline. It’s about remembering that every week counts. That we’re not old, but we’re not endless either. That “someday” has arrived, and it looks a lot like right now.
How to Build Your Own List
If this resonates with you, here’s how to create your own version:
Think in categories. Health, travel, relationships, projects, personal growth. What’s been nagging at you in each area?
Mix big and small. Not everything needs to be epic. “Write a letter to my kids” sits right next to “visit three new countries.” Both matter.
Be specific. “Travel more” is too vague. “Take two spontaneous weekend trips” is something you can actually do.
Include some completions. We all have those half-finished projects. Put them on the list. Finally finishing something feels amazing.
Make it yours. My list includes dance classes and colonoscopies. Yours might include skydiving and learning guitar. Do what matters to YOU, not what looks good on paper.
Don’t wait for perfection. I’m not waiting until I have all the details figured out. I’m starting now, messy and imperfect.
The First Step
I’m writing this in the early months of my 49th year. Some things on this list are already scheduled. Others are still in the “thinking about it” phase. A few will probably change as the year goes on.
But here’s what I know: this year will be different because I decided it would be. Not because everything will go perfectly, but because I’m paying attention. I’m showing up. I’m saying yes to the things that matter and finally doing the things I’ve been putting off.
Turning 50 isn’t about slowing down. It’s about speeding up—intentionally. It’s about making sure the next decade doesn’t look like the last one, where time just… happened.
This is me taking the wheel.
Join Me?
I’ll be sharing updates throughout the year—the wins, the fails, the things that didn’t go as planned, and the unexpected moments that turned out better than I imagined. Because this isn’t about a perfect year. It’s about a lived year. A year where I actually did the things instead of just thinking about them.
If you’re in your late 40s (or getting close), I’d love to hear: What would be on your list? What have you been saying “one day” to that could actually happen this year?
Let’s stop waiting. Let’s start doing.
Here’s to 50 before 50. Here’s to showing up. Here’s to the years that count.
What’s on your “before 50” list? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear what matters to you. And if you’re taking on your own challenge this year, let me know. We’re all in this together.
