Fifty, Fierce, and Clueless: What I Wish I Knew at 50
Updated: Oct 9
We made it to blog number 50! To celebrate, I am looking in the mirror and sharing the slightly creaky truth about hitting this milestone. If you are navigating midlife, lifting heavy, and trying to stay sane alongside me, here is the official breakdown of what I have figured out—and what I am still stubbornly wrestling with.
Things I Know About Myself (The Good and the Defiant)
The Bad: My patience has officially left the building. If my Wix website takes more than two seconds to load, I assume the internet is broken. If you cut me off in traffic, I will stare at you with the pure, unadulterated rage of a woman whose hormones are highly negotiable.
The Good: I don’t procrastinate. Mostly because if I don’t do it right now, I will completely forget why I walked into the room in the first place. I am incredibly organised, hyper-efficient, and I wake up happy.
The Trick: But I have learnt a little trick. If, for example, you decide to go to the bedroom to fetch the novel you are reading, say out loud what you are going there to get — yes, even if you are talking to an empty room. By the time you reach the bedroom, you will still remember why you are there. I promise you that this trick works for everything.
The Goofy: I have embraced my inner weirdo. I laugh at ridiculous things, have discussions with myself and talk to animals and plants, and have accepted that being a bit goofy is a survival mechanism.
Things I Have Learned About Other People
The Maya Angelou Rule: People may forget what you said or did, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Treat people well (except the guy who took the last parking spot at the gym).
The 2 AM Test: If you can call someone at two in the morning because your tire is flat or your brain won’t shut down, they are not just a contact in your phone—they are a friend for life.
The Revolving Door: People come and go. Some leave beautiful memories, and others leave us with a lesson on exactly who not to invite to lunch ever again.
Girlfriends are Oxygen: A true friend sees the real you—past the new chin hairs or the bad hair day. We all need our girlfriends. They are the ones who validate that, yes, the room really is 40 degrees Celsius right now.
Things I Have Learned About Getting Older
Time has a Design Flaw: The older you get, the faster the calendar moves. January lasts five minutes, and suddenly it is December again. You cannot turn back the clock.
Stop Waiting for the “Perfect” Time: Do not postpone your joy. Stop waiting until you are five kilos lighter, richer, or fitter. Buy the clothes, take the trip, lift the heavy weights. The best time is right now.
The Invisibility Illusion: Inside, you feel like a vibrant 28-year-old ready to conquer a barbell squat. Outside, the world sees a few grey hairs and treats you like a fragile antique.
Use the Age Card: On the flip side, use those wrinkles to your advantage! Look slightly confused near a heavy grocery bag, and suddenly helpful citizens will carry it to your car. Work the system, ladies.
Things I Have Learned About Health and Wealth
Treat Your Body Like a Classic Car: Look after your physical self in every single way you can. Lift weights so you can carry your own luggage, eat well so your joints don’t complain, and remember that health is the ultimate currency.
The Daily Protein Math: Hitting your daily protein goal is a full-time job. I spend half my day staring at my digital food scale. Weighing my peanut butter, my OVO protein powder, chia seeds and blueberries. And suddenly realise I should have weighed the peanut butter last—because now everything is a sticky mess. And often wondering if it is socially acceptable to eat a chicken breast for breakfast just to hit my protein target.
Save Your Pennies: Save, save, save. Because retirement hobbies—and high-quality whey isolates—are not cheap.
Everything is temporary: The bad days pass, the good days fly, and even the worst muscle soreness after leg day eventually fades.
Things I Have Learned About Happiness
Keep It Silly: Be funny and ridiculous in your relationship. If you can’t laugh together when one of you throws their back out making the bed, what is the point? Humour is my absolute anchor.
Gym Floor Therapy: Find joy in the struggle. When I am lifting heavy, I pull theatrical faces—one eye bulging, one eye squinting, teeth bared, heaving like I am trying to lift a car. Thankfully, my personal trainer is right there, beautifully balancing the act of laughing with me and laughing at me while I survive the final rep.
The Echo Effect: Help others whenever you are able. The universe has a funny way of working: the more good energy you put out, the more of it bounces right back to you.
Things I Am Still Figuring Out (And Refusing to Give Up On)
The Unstoppable Mindset: I might not have it all figured out, but I am like a dog with a bone when it comes to a challenge. If there is a problem to solve, a new technology to master, or a heavy lift to nail, I will sit there for hours refusing to quit until I get it right.
The Final Verdict: You are never, ever too old to learn, grow, or pull a muscle trying to change your pillowcase. We are just getting started!
What About You?
If you’ are somewhere in the middle of your own “fifty, fierce and slightly clueless” years, I would love to know: what is one thing you wish you had known at 50?
🌿 Continue Your Journey
If this blog resonated with you, here are three more stories you might enjoy:
I started thinking differently about exercise when I realised I no longer wanted to train simply to become smaller. I wanted to become stronger, more capable and more alive.
Changing how we think about our bodies can be harder than changing what we do. This is the story of unlearning decades of messages about being smaller, thinner and younger.
Strength isn't just about what happens in the gym. These are the three things helping me stay physically strong, socially connected and mentally engaged.
— Frannie ☕
I love this one, and well done on the 50th such a great achievement.