5 Things I Must Have in My Life as a Woman Over 50

(Last Updated On: November 13, 2023)

When I decided to create a post about the 5 most important things to have in my life as a woman over 50, I really didn’t have any preconceived notion about what that list would include. But it would be easy-peasy to put that together, right?

I mean, we all have important things to learn in life, essentials that we’ve come to depend upon that are a part of our daily life and we would be lost without them. The quick little list inside my head included such must-haves as:

• my phone,
• a strong cup of coffee,
• my laptop,
• an internet connection,
• a glass of chilled Chardonnay,
• my favorite pair of flip flops,
• my Nespresso coffeemaker…take away any of those ‘essentials’ and I would not be a happy camper.

But then I came to my senses and gave the topic some quality pondering, searching deeper inward, and from there I began to create a list of the things that I sincerely and absolutely need in my life at this time.

And you know what? Three of the five things weren’t ‘things’ at all, but qualities or components of my life that I would be lost without. So I considered these essentials some more and came to the conclusion that this list was hitting the mark, at least it was for me as a woman in her 60’s.

5 Things That I Must Have in My Life

Important Things to Learn in Life

My first two essentials are tangible things that make my life better as I mature, and I would miss them dearly if they were suddenly taken away.

1 | PROPER SKIN CARE

… for my face and body. Any woman over 50 reading this post can relate to the changes in our skin as we age. It becomes thinner and crepey, it sags, wrinkles and generally deteriorates with every passing year.

One of the most important essentials, as we age, is keeping our skin moisturized. It won’t turn back the clock but it will certainly help us look and feel better. And our skin will thank us for doing it!

Recently I’ve found some wonderful skin care and anti-aging products for mature skin, and the fact that they’re cruelty-free is a big plus for me. I’m keeping these. 🙂

Take away all my girly type makeup if you must, but leave me a quality face and body moisturizer and I will survive. I won’t look too pretty, but we’re talking life essentials here, not a beauty contest.

2 | COMFY WALKING SHOES…

…because if my feet feel good I can walk just about anywhere. The benefits of aerobic and strength training as women over 50 are huge.

I can find ways to strengthen my muscles without weights, but I gotta have the shoes to keep my little body movin’. I know that ongoing exercise and healthy living can add years to my life, so a simple pair of walking shoes make the list of 5 things I must have in my life.

If I had to rely on just my wits + one thing to get me where I needed to be and help my body stay fit, it would be the shoes. There would be extra points awarded for cuteness, but ultimately it’s the function that counts.

3 | CLOSE FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

For me, this is a must-have in my life, an absolute essential and one of the 3 most important things in life.

Whether you live in close proximity to your family or they’re spread out over the country and even further, for most of us, the family ties and bonds are the glue that we don’t want to be without, ever.

I made the decision last fall to move 1,200 miles across the country to live close to my family, as I was the only member who lived out of state.

It was a difficult choice to make on one hand, because I loved my home and where I lived. But when it came right down to it, the decision was very clear, and that was to make that move and be within reach of my entire family, including the kids and grandkids.

A long-distance relationship can be effective, too, as long as the effort is made on both sides to stay in touch. With the technology in place today there is really no reason to be out of touch unless it is by choice.

Being with my family, spending time with them, having some involvement in their lives, having the ability to put an arm around their shoulder when things are tough, or a big hug when congratulations are in order, or to just simply spend time together doing what we do every day. For me, this is an essential.

4 | SELF CONFIDENCE

Because this quality doesn’t just happen all by itself, or occur naturally as you age. Some people live their entire life and never feel confident as individuals.

For me, it’s an essential quality for my life now and going forward. The confidence I have in myself, my beliefs, my choices and decisions…these are all a part of who I am at this time in my life, and I believe is one of the 3 most important things to learn in life.

My online self-development course for women over 50, Inspire Your Life, delves into the aspect of self-confidence, where we’re at today and how we can strengthen that characteristic going forward.

If you’re a woman wondering how to reinvent yourself at 60, this might be just what you need. It is so important in our life, and it’s never too late to give the self-confidence a boost!

5 | A PLAN

I always have a plan. Usually Plan A and Plan B, just in case.

It doesn’t mean that I obsessively map out my every move to the tiniest detail. I’m old enough to know better than that.

But my plan does mean that I have a purpose for what I am doing; purposeful living on a daily basis is how I define it. And along with the purposeful day-to-day living is a set of goals that I’m working toward.

As we move through midlife, several things can happen:

• We transition into our retired, or semi-retired life quite naturally, and life seems to fall into place for us, or
• We feel our life changing in a number of ways, and the uncertainty wells up inside, not overwhelming, but there in the background, or
• We are afraid of the future and what it may hold for us as we age.

I set a plan so that I can move forward through life with confidence, knowing that I’ve done everything I can to create opportunities, minimize obstacles as I know them and plan for the pitfalls that may occur.

So here again is my list of the 5 things I must have in my life right now, and I’m going to place them in order of importance to me:

1. A plan
2. Family Relationships
3. Self Confidence
4. The Walking Shoes
5. Quality Skin Care – A Good Moisturizer

It looks like an odd little list without further explanation or context, but it’s my list all the same!

Life essentials are unique to every person, so what comprises my list might not ever appear on yours. And that is the second thing I learned about this exercise: we all have the right, and the responsibility, to choose for ourselves what is most important to us.

So how about you? How would your list of the top five essentials in your life look right now? It’s a thought-provoking exercise. If you’re looking to find purpose in your life after 50, to determine the important things to learn in life, give it some consideration and see what is most important to you.

Share your thoughts – we’d love to hear from you 🙂

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