Turning 60 isn’t just about getting senior discounts and contemplating retirement. It’s about finally having the wisdom (and frankly, the lack of patience) to let go of things that no longer serve you. Here’s what you can and should quit after 60—because life’s too short and you’re too experienced for this nonsense.
1. Apologizing for Your Appearance
Time to quit apologizing for your gray hair, your comfortable shoes, or those extra pounds that somehow snuck up over the decades. You’ve earned every silver strand and those wrinkles? They’re victory lines from surviving life’s battles. Your body has carried you through six decades of adventures—it deserves respect, not apologies. Besides, anyone who expects you to look 30 at 60 needs to quit watching too much TV.
2. Keeping Up With the Joneses
The Joneses are probably in debt anyway. You’ve spent enough years trying to impress people with stuff you don’t need, bought with money you don’t have, to impress people you don’t even like. Your neighbor’s new car won’t matter when you’re sipping coffee on your paid-off porch, enjoying the peace of mind that comes with living within your means. Let the Joneses keep up with themselves.
3. Toxic Family Obligations
Just because someone shares your DNA doesn’t mean they deserve unlimited access to your time, energy, or peace of mind. You’re old enough now to know that “but they’re family” isn’t a good enough reason to endure toxic behavior. Those guilt-laden holiday gatherings that leave you needing a vacation? The weekly drama calls that raise your blood pressure? You have permission to opt-out. Family loyalty shouldn’t require a prescription for anxiety medication.
4. Pretending to Like Things You Hate
Life’s too short to sit through operas if you don’t like opera, or to pretend you enjoy golf just because your friends do. You’ve earned the right to say, “Actually, I’d rather stick a fork in my eye than attend another wine tasting where everyone pretends they can taste hints of leather and tobacco.” Your authentic interests are more interesting than being polite.
5. Wearing Uncomfortable Clothes
Those “just in case” jeans that haven’t fit since the Bush administration (the first one)? The shoes that look great but feel like medieval torture devices? The scratchy sweater your daughter-in-law gave you? Time to let them go. Your comfort isn’t negotiable anymore, and anyone who has a problem with your elastic waistbands can kindly keep their opinions to themselves.
6. People-Pleasing
You’ve spent decades considering everyone else’s feelings, needs, and preferences. Now it’s your turn. No more joining committees you hate, attending events that bore you, or agreeing to babysit when you really want to read a book. “No” is a complete sentence, and at 60+, you’ve earned the right to use it without an explanation.
7. Engaging in Digital Drama
You don’t need to engage in every Facebook argument, respond to every inflammatory post, or keep up with every social media platform. Your blood pressure will thank you for scrolling past the political rants and cat videos. Remember: just because someone is wrong on the internet doesn’t mean you have to correct them.
8. Holding Outdated Grudges
Those grudges you’ve been nurturing since 1985? Time to let them go. Not because the other person deserves forgiveness, but because you deserve peace. While you’ve been mentally rehearsing clever comebacks in the shower, they’ve probably forgotten the entire incident. These grudges are like carrying around a heavy suitcase full of rocks—they’re only weighing you down. Besides, nothing annoys your enemies more than your genuine happiness. Consider it the ultimate revenge.
9. The “Should” List
You should exercise more, eat better, call more often, and volunteer more. How about we take that “should” list and set it on fire? You’ve spent enough years living up to other people’s expectations. That voice in your head that sounds suspiciously like your mother/father/third-grade teacher needs to retire. Every time you catch yourself saying “I should,” stop and ask: “Says who?” Replace those “shoulds” with “want to’s.” Maybe you don’t want to join a gym, but you do want to garden. Maybe you don’t want to join a book club, but you do want to read trashy novels in peace.
10. Saving Things for “Special Occasions”
Let’s talk about that china cabinet full of dishes that have never seen food. Those fancy towels in the bathroom that no one’s allowed to use. What are we saving these things for—the Queen’s visit? (We hate to burst your bubble, but she’s not coming.) Here’s a radical thought: YOU are the special occasion. Every morning you wake up is the special event these items have been waiting for. Use the fancy teacup for your morning coffee. Wear the good jewelry to the grocery store.
11. The Fear of Looking Silly
The fear of looking silly has probably stopped you from doing more things than any other fear. Want to learn tap dancing at 65? Take up painting even though you can barely draw a stick figure? Start a blog about your cat? Wear that bright red lipstick? Dye your hair purple? Do it. The secret nobody tells you about aging is that it comes with a superpower: the ability to stop caring about looking foolish.
12. Getting Stuck in Endless Comparison
Your retirement account isn’t as big as your brother’s? Your garden isn’t as nice as your neighbor’s? Your grandkids don’t visit as often as your friends do? Stop. You’re not running in anyone else’s race anymore. Your path is your path, and comparing yourself to others is about as useful as comparing apples to watermelons.
13. The Need to Stay “Current”
You don’t need to understand every new technology, watch every trending show, or know who’s who in pop culture. You’ve earned the right to be selective about what new things you welcome into your life. If you don’t know what TikTok is, congratulations—that’s not a character flaw, it’s a life choice.
14. The Illusion of Unlimited Time
Perhaps the most important thing to quit is the notion that you have unlimited time to start living the life you want. Not to be morbid, but tomorrow isn’t guaranteed at any age. Want to travel? Write that book? Reconnect with old friends? Tell someone you love them? Do it now. The someday you’ve been waiting for is here.
15. The Myth of “Age-Appropriate”
It’s time to ditch the invisible rulebook about what’s “appropriate” for your age. Who exactly is writing these rules anyway? The same people who think your main hobbies should be rocking chairs and early bird specials? You’ve spent 60+ years being told what’s appropriate—when to marry, how to dress, what to like, when to retire—and somehow these rules keep getting more restrictive with age. Want to get a tattoo at 65? Learn to skateboard? Go backpacking through Europe and stay in hostels? The only thing that’s truly age-inappropriate is letting others define what’s right for you.
