25 Things I No Longer Feel Guilty About After 50

Maybe it’s something about getting older, but lately I’ve stopped feeling the need to explain perfectly reasonable things that make my life easier, more comfortable, or just a little more enjoyable.

Honestly, I feel like a stubborn two-year-old most days. LOL. I know what I like, I know what I don’t, and I’m increasingly uninterested in defending either one.

So I started jotting down a few things I no longer feel guilty about after 50. Some are silly. Some took me years to get over. And a few make me wonder why I ever felt guilty in the first place.

I’m curious. Do any of these resonate with you?

The Little Everyday Freedoms

1. Throwing away the last few bites of my food. I don’t need to finish something just because it’s on my plate. I’m not a human garbage disposal.

2. Using the good towels on a regular Tuesday. What exactly am I saving them for?

3. Buying the pre-cut fruit and veggies. Yes, I know a whole pineapple cost less. I also know that same pineapple has been sitting on my counter for six days because I don’t want to cut it.

4. Having absolutely no interest in a popular Netflix series. I don’t need to watch eight seasons of something just to participate in a conversation.

5. Taking the elevator for two floors. Sometimes I take the stairs. Sometimes I don’t. Neither decision requires a personal fitness statement.

My Home, My Rules

6. Having a room nobody uses. Not every square foot of my house needs a purpose, a storage solution, or a makeover. Sometimes an empty room can just be an empty room.

7. Not offering everyone a tour of my house. You came to see me, not inspect the guest bedroom. Do people still give house tours? 🤔

8. Using paper plates when I feel like it. I own perfectly good dishes. I also own a perfectly good dishwasher. Some evenings, neither one interests me.

9. Getting rid of perfectly good things. Something can still work and no longer belong in my life. I don’t need to wait until it breaks. Some times, I just don’t want it anymore.

Speaking of getting rid of perfectly good things, I’ve become quite good at that lately. LOL. I even made a list of 50 Things I No Longer Own After 50. Some things just don’t deserve another year of taking up space in my house.

10. Paying someone to do something I could technically do myself. I know how to clean my house. That’s not the point.

Things I No Longer Feel Obligated to Do

11. Not finishing a book everyone loved. If I’m 80 pages in and still waiting for it to get good, the book and I can part ways.

12. Leaving the restaurant without dessert. I don’t have to order something just because everyone else is ordering it. And sometimes I want dessert when nobody else does.

13. Not wanting to travel everywhere. Some destinations look absolutely beautiful in other people’s vacation photos. That’s enough for me.

14. Getting rid of something I spent good money on. Just because it was expensive doesn’t mean I have to keep it forever. The money is already gone. Why am I keeping something I don’t even like? I pass this stuff on to my daughters without guilt!! 🙂

15. Not having a favorite everything. Favorite movie? Favorite restaurant? Favorite song? Sometimes I just like things without ranking them.

The Social Stuff Nobody Talks About

16. Not remembering someone’s name. I can simply ask again instead of spending an entire conversation trying to avoid saying it.

17. Enjoying a party or event without posting evidence of it. Some of my best evenings have absolutely no pictures to prove it ever happened.

18. Not wanting to turn every acquaintance into a friendship. We can have a lovely conversation, enjoy each other’s company, and leave it there.

19. Having a perfectly nice time and still being ready to go home. Enjoying myself and wanting to leave can most certainly be happening at the same time.

20. Not picking up the phone just because someone’s calling. Sometimes I’m in the middle of something. Sometimes I’m enjoying doing absolutely nothing. Either way, I’ll call you back (maybe). 😂

Know Thyself

21. Buying the same thing in another color. When I finally find something that fits, feels good, and works for my actual life, I don’t need to keep searching for something different.

This is exactly why I’ve given up on the idea of a perfect capsule wardrobe. I don’t need a closet full of basics I’m supposed to love. I want clothes I actually enjoy wearing. I wrote about that in I Don’t Want a Capsule Wardrobe. I Want a Closet Full of Yeses.

22. Changing my mind about something I once defended passionately. New intel/deets, different experiences, and plain old changing my mind are allowed.

23. Having a hobby I’m not particularly good at. I can enjoy doing something without improving, competing, selling it, or turning it into a side hustle.

24. Letting a perfectly good opportunity pass me by. Just because I could do something doesn’t mean I want to. And not every open door means I am supposed to walk through it.

25. Not making the most of every single day. Some days are productive. Some are memorable. Some are just Tuesday. I don’t need to squeeze a life lesson, accomplishment, or meaningful moment out of every 24 hours.

The Best Part of Being Over 50? Giving Myself Permission.

Ahhhh, the freedom of being over 50. Turns out, I wasn’t waiting for anyone else’s permission. I just needed to give myself my own. LOL.

And the funny thing is, most of these aren’t even big decisions. We’re talking about unfinished books, expensive mistakes, leaving a party early, and buying the pineapple that’s already cut up. 😂

Somewhere along the way, I realized how much unnecessary guilt I’d attached to perfectly ordinary choices. And for what? Who was keeping score?

I’m not saying I suddenly have everything figured out. I still overthink things, change my mind, and occasionally do something just because I feel like I should. Old habits die hard.

But I’m getting better at recognizing the difference between something I genuinely want to do and something I’m doing out of obligation.

And I have to say, there’s a whole lot of joy in that little bit of freedom.

Now I’m curious. What’s one thing you’ve finally given yourself permission to stop feeling guilty about? I’d love to hear it in the comments. I might need to add it to my list!