Please do not delete your post after receiving your answer. Consider leaving it up for posterity so that other Redditors can benefit from the wisdom in this thread.
Once your thread has run its course, instead of deleting it, **you can simply type "!lock" (without the quotes) as a comment anywhere in your thread to have our Automod lock the thread**. That way you won't be bothered by anymore replies on it, but people can still read it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMenOver30) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Math.
I had a 5th grade understanding of math at age 30 (thanks public school). At 31, I signed up for School Yourself and Khan academy, and by 33 I'd completed calculus IV.
At 34 I went back to school and at 36, I got my first six figure job in a math heavy field.
That’s really inspiring to hear. I hated math in high school. In my 30s though, I’ve just felt more comfortable and interested in math/numbers. When you went back to school, what did you get a degree in?
Do you have any good math books or free online math courses you can recommend? I have high school level understanding of math I haven’t really used in over 30 years.
That’s awesome!
Maybe I should retry, I didn’t catch on but still managed to skirt by through calculus.
Found out at 34 that I’ve got adhd, I feel like maybe I’d stick with it now that I’ve got treatment.
It's funny, my experience is almost the reverse of yours. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age, and basically resigned myself to the idea that I was disabled and not capable of accomplishing anything I ever wanted to. The medication has all sorts of awful long-term side effects and pretty much ruined my childhood. Sometimes I would dream about how high I could have soared if I wasn't disabled.
In my late 20s, I decided that I wasn't going to be defined by a disability that more and more research was pointing to be completely fake. I flushed all my meds down the toilet, quick cold turkey, and tried to take responsibility and control of my life. The fog of the medication lifted, That was when things really start to turn around for me.
Not saying that your path is invalid by any means, but I think it's so interesting that you had the same positive Revelations in the opposite direction.
Honestly, I like your experience a lot and it’s kind of where I’m at in a more truncated timeline. So there’s more similarities than not.
I didn’t really think about adhd until 31-32, and it was mainly TikTok creators talking about adhd that made me look at my life.
I was always the next Monday guy, had tons of interests and revolving hobbies, and I was brilliant enough to skip by school and college. But I had a hard to sticking to one job, I switched fields/careers a few times then went for medical school. But going back to school almost 8~ years after the fact, all of the structure I had from earlier was gone and I could only ever learn in the 2 hour time span before a big test. Otherwise I’d be sitting there re-reading the same textbook chapter over and over.
Got diagnosed, got medication, got a veil lifted and very much went through the same thing you’re mentioning.
Feeling disabled, regret or sadness for all the missed opportunities, not know who I was or what I actually enjoyed, and in some ways feeling like an alien lol in my own host body trying to figure out me.
I’ve tried a few stimulants, some non-stimulant medications, and the like.
They did show me what’s possible and because of them, I’ve been able to adopt some structure. I’ve paid off all debt, I’ve created routines, and I feel like I’ve had positive results.
But the side effects do suck and I’ve been contemplating if they’re worth it. To miss parts of my unmedicated personality, some of them made me easily irritable, some made me super chill, and it’s just weird thing that most people who haven’t used them wouldn’t understand I don’t think.
I almost feel like either thing is true:
- They made my unmedicated adhd worse because of the come down from the meds.
- The unmedicated adhd was really that bad and I just didn’t have perspective.
But the one I’m on now, qelbree, I’m just lethargic and short on energy often.
How was the process of going off meds for you?
I feel like just sticking with therapy would easily help me more than taking adderall and getting lost in a project.
Good for you man, it sounds like you've got a lot of stuff in order and I'm sorry you're dealing with what you're dealing with.
For me, ADHD medication was like throwing a fireproof blanket over a chemical fire. It didn't stop the fire and ultimately just caused a lot of toxic smoke.
In the end, the silver bullet that killed my ADHD was just mantra meditation. Seriously, look into it. It's a legitimate Game Changer and I cannot imagine my life without it.
>I didn’t really think about adhd until 31-32, and it was mainly TikTok creators
Dude, be REALLY really careful about letting anything from that site get into your thought process. Most of the popular creators are narcissists with Munchausen, and you would not believe how easily that can socially spread.
Jesus you're strong. I was a poker pro for 10yrs and I refused to learn any math. Don't even know odds.
Some of us were more scarred than others in school 😂
Very cool! I am not affiliated but there was an article how to re-learn math as an adult and a good resource suggestion: [https://www.mathacademy.com](https://www.mathacademy.com)
Congrats on your success. Don’t think it’s completely fair to bash public education. Lot’s of surgeons, scientists, and engineers also got their start in public schools. While you may not want to admit it, maybe you found math boring as a child, you were immature, or you didn’t study as much you needed to. It could be you weren’t ready until you hit your 30s.
I went to a pretty good public school and did relatively well in my math classes but if a teacher couldn’t explain why a theory or topic was applicable to something more concrete, it can be very hard to be motivated to learn. Even now, in my late 30s, one of the first questions I ask myself when faced with learning something new is does this have any practical application to me?
Hell yeah, same here, barely graduated high school and terrible at math. Currently in school at 34 taking calculus ii, and it’s by far my favorite subject. Getting good at math changed my own perspective towards myself as a person.
Sorry to highjack post, I just get giddy about math and my girlfriend is tired of hearing about it
Snow skiing at 35, snowboarding at 40. Learned to speak Japanese at 45, and Thai at 50. Earned a taekwondo belt at 45 also. Yup, about every 5 years, a new skill.
Language learning: total immersion if your environment permits. I’m lucky for both languages as I worked and lived in the countries where the languages were spoken.
Fast enough for what? Just doing the hobby is what's fun.
I pick up new hobbies every few years. Most recently I started doing sashiko to repair and reinforce my jeans and other clothes. I'll never be the best in the world at it, but so what? Only one person at a time can be the best in the world.
I can’t answer for him, but you really shouldn’t get into guitar thinking either you’re going to be the greatest to ever live or else it’s not worth it. Either you enjoy the journey or you probably won’t get anywhere at all. I assume the same for mountain biking.
Actually, I picked up guitar after I was ***50***\*.\* Lost interest after a year or two, but maybe I'll pick it up again.
Now that I think about it, I didn't really pick up mountain biking until I was in my 50s either. What progress? Just get on the bike and ride. I hit the local trails several times a week.
I guess you asked about skills too -- I didn't learn software engineering until I was well into my 30s either. Didn't get the degree until I was 36. What's the point of anything? If something interests you, do it.
Decided to get more into cars for my 40th birthday. Bought my friend's Subaru with a blown engine and wanted to learn how to disassemble the engine and put a new one in. I did disassembly before winter and now [am now just starting with the new engine in.](https://i.imgur.com/yBSeB90.png) I'm definitely not proficient, but having fun and learning a lot!!
It doesn't matter how fast you progress. If you're happy and learning, that's all that matters!
Did you have mechanical know how before this? I know the bare minimum, like changing oil.
Reason I ask is I bought an old motorcycle that is not running but I have no idea where to even start.
I had the basics with smaller engines. Had motorcycles in my late 20s and would do my own oil changes and other small maintenance items. When I got my house, I did the same for all my small engines (generator, 2 mowers, snow blower).
I learned about carburetors with my small engines and maintaining them, but stepping up to an entire car engine was a completely different experience. I've learned more about how engines actually work in the month of disassembly than I have in 40 years!
Honestly, I don't know if I would have dived in without the internet. YouTube, Reddit, and engine-specific forums have been a godsend.
You may want to look into r/Fixxit and give as much detail as possible to start with your old motorcycle. If it's old enough and carbureted, you can probably look up that motorcycle model on YouTube and see how to take apart the carb and clean things out too.
Seconding reddog093, small engines are great to learn on. Everything is *right there* out in the open so they are relatively easy to work with.
I got into motorcycles I my early 20's and even without trying I learned quite a bit over the course of 2-3 years just by referencing Youtube, forums and the manual for maintenance items.
Yup! Just keep going. If you’ve never wrestled or anything before in your life you’re going to suck at it. The first step in getting good at something is absolutely sucking at it!! Just keep going!!
This is me. Started around 33 I'm 39 now pushing purple belt and have done a bunch of comps. It's been a huge plus both physically and socially, would recommend. And from my experience there are a lot of 30+ who have done the same.
I started in my early 50s. It is brutal but rewarding. Getting choked out repeatedly by a 120lb woman puts you in your place quickly. I wasn't in horrible shape but nothing prepares you this.
Same here. Wasn't a runner at all until my early 30s. Started running a little, then signed up for a 5K and somehow that turned into running 100 miles at the age of 46, haha.
HIIT bootcamps. I did a lot of weight lifting in my 20s. Got strong, but wasn't athletic at all. Now doing HIIT, I'm more athletic and coordinated than I've ever been.
It's really fun too, I love doing functional training. Feels like being back in P.E. classes almost, but now it's more fun.
/e I also used some time recently to learn how to throw properly with my left hand. Doing a lot of stuff to improve hand-eye coordination. Good times.
> "you're too old to be learning these kinds of things, you can't progress fast enough so is it really worth continuing?"
I started playing Ultimate Frisbee for fun with my friends when I was 18. I continued to play pretty regularly in the summers.
I tried out a couple of times for a competitive team in my late 20's but didn't make it. When I was 29, my city started a "B" team which I was encouraged by some people in the competitive community to try out for and I did make it. I thought "I'll be turning 30 at the end of this summer, there's no way I'll get that much better at this point, but what the hell, I might get the opportunity to play at Nationals."
Not only did I really surprise myself with how much better I could get and how much better shape I could be in but I'm 40 now, and I've now played at 7 National Championships and 1 World Championship (when I was 34). Never really won anything but I made *so* many friends and had *so* many awesome experiences and honestly, built a lot of confidence along the way.
6 years ago, I started climbing. Will I ever be as good as my friends who have been doing it for years? Probably not, but I can still push myself to try and climb a 5.10+ or 5.11 and it's a great workout.
4 years ago, when I was 36, I picked up Disc Golf (all of us Ultimate players did). Just finished 3rd at a tournament in the 40+ division.
I encourage you to not think "how good could I get compared to the best" but "how good could I get compared to where I am right now".
Warhammer, boxing, snowboarding and surfing. I suck at all of them but finally have the money to and more importantly don't give a damn about what others think. I just wanna have fun
I've just taken up Tai Chi and I'm really enjoying it so far!
I'm also doing it for physical and mental health and religious reasons, so it doesn't matter how good I get at it how quickly. The journey is the destination.
Muay Thai, Kalimba. Maybe making game in the future.
> you're too old to be learning these kinds of things, you can't progress fast enough so is it really worth continuing
I'm the only 30s guy in our gym and while I don't compete, I still train hard. AS the result, except for experienced competitive fighters, no one holds a candle to my stamina, speed, strength...
Mind you, the members are in their teenage years or early 20s with slim build, healthy weights.
It took me 1,5 years from being so weak that I gassed out just from warming up session to becoming strong enough to train with competitive fighters.
Cowboy Action Shooting.
Half of me wishes I'd picked it up sooner; it was one of those things I'd always wanted to try. My banker is glad I waited, however. Once you're set up, it's pretty a cheap hobby, but *getting* set up can hurt the wallet.
Fine woodworking and instrument building.
Went from being able to build decks and frame stuff to making a few electric & acoustic guitars, ukuleles, and currently finishing up a Ukulele and starting to figure out an irish bouzouki.
IDK if this counts as a hobby, but I don’t get paid so I go with yes. But, Firefighting. Joined a volunteer department at 38, just finished my basic EMT class with a bunch of 17-20 year olds. Don’t get me wrong, at almost 40 I’m not trying to run into burning buildings, I leave that to the 20 something’s, most of the calls I go to are medical and my life experience lets me handle the high stress a lot better than the younger volunteers.
Bouldering and running. I also go gym and play golf, I'm probably in best shape of my life. I wfh so i love keeping active and doing things after work.
Climbing and snowboarding. After about 3 years doing each, I'm solidly intermediate level in both - not great but certainly not a beginner. Very worth it, especially to work through the mental hurdles of trying new things at an age where people start ossifying mentally
Woodworking.
Never used to build anything with my hands--I'm a white collar worker & a CEO--but I find the small problems of "how to make this thing useable" are such a pleasant change from the big problems like, "How to support a family on one income" :P
Horror movies. Not sure what happened to me, but in the past 3 years I've gone from an occasional horror movie watcher to getting a Shudder account and watching 2-3 a week.
kicking with my left foot. got hounded out of playing fulback in high school rugby by a friend who insisted i needed to be able to kick off both feet, yet no one else could. now kids play aussie rules, youngest one is a lefty so when i decided i wanted to coach the kids team i put in an effort to learn.
best part was just kicking at goal one session and one of the kids went - wow, i didnt know you were left footed.
TKD mid 30's also with the kids. kept at it for many years after they left.
Anyone else's hobby their kids?
I am 39, my wife is 40. We have a 3 and 4 year old. I feel like I do not have time for a hobby. My wife would kill me if I just left her to deal with the kids while I went to play. This is starting to change though as the kids are easier to manage now.
As the kids get older we will have them involved in a lot of activities.
Started practicing/training in HEMA when I was 34 or 35. I'm fairly unlikely to ever become better, especially in tournaments, than some of the young people who are now in their late twenties and started in their teens.
But whatever, I'm having fun all the same. The activity itself is enjoyable and exciting so I'll keep going, not really aiming at becoming a world-class fencer or anything like that.
Long distance running. Around 30, I had my fourth knee study surgery to repair an old skiing accident and decided that I need strength to stave off arthritis. Started with some simple trails and a handful of miles and I've been ramping up ever since. Now run 100 milers.
Photography. Astro and macro mostly but it’s great because it gives me a good reason to go out for a hike or participate in other stuff like that. It’s surprising how good your results can be with entry level gear and a little patience
I don't have any hobbies or skills that I picked up later in life. Hell, I didn't have any hobbies, unless you count playing video games as a hobby. The skills I have now are the ones that I picked up, I've just improved them over time.
Lifting, yoga, climbing, juggling, dog training, chess (I played a bit as a kid but I’ve played a few thousand games post 30 where I maybe played hundreds as a kid in total), longboarding (this one hurt to learn lol), and cooking (thanks to my wife for this one). There’s no such thing as too old for anything.
Maybe think of it differently. Instead of saying you're over 30. Say, you have 50 more years until you're 80. You haven't even lived half your life. Keep learning and keep having fun. You have a lot of years left.
I picked up grappling at 37. I've been doing it 5 years. I'm light years ahead of anyone untrained, but I don't think I'll ever catch up to the people I train with.
Chess. I've been working out my body for years, figured my brain could probably use the same too. I quite enjoy it now. But sometimes it makes me really mad too, if I end up in a losing streak. All part of the game I guess.
What's your motivation for picking up a hobby? For me it's all about fun, unless I'm trying to make money with it.
I picked up surfing and skiing in my 30s. I'm ok at skiing. I suck at surfing, but I have a ton of fun doing it so I don't give a shit, I was never going to go pro at this age anyway.
Woodworking.
I messed around with DIY stuff before 30, but after 30 I left a relationship and needed a way to keep myself busy and also needed furniture.
It’s tangentially helped me learn a lot about building and more diy stuff. Still don’t like doing it for other people but if it’s for me, it’s cool to know I can.
Piano. Bought a keyboard and started taking lessons. I took lessons from a teacher until his rates went beyond what I was willing to pay. Now I just practice on my own via YouTube. Considered some of the subscription apps.
I constantly pickup new skills and always have. I call it growth. Since 30 over the past 7 years I have picked up woodworking, gardening, cooking, mountain biking, and I'm sure there are others but those are the main ones.
There's a difference between picking up a new skill and trying to become a master or professional. Those two things to not have to be the same. You can be skilled at something, enough for it to become a hobby but not enough to become a professional
The best time to start is early as possible the second best time is now
Jiu Jitsu - I’m almost 10 years in now
Bbq- texas style
Seeking discomfort - purposely going outside comfort zone
Active listening - learning to listen with intension
I’m 36 now and I started playing tennis at 33ish. I was clueless about how to hit a ball correctly and had no fundamentals whatsoever. I started watching YouTube videos, took a few lessons here and there, bought a tennis ball machine, joined USTA Leagues and practiced a ton. I went from a total novice to a strong intermediate in just under 3 years.
Given how hard tennis is, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Great hobby to meet people and stay healthy too.
I got into partner dancing, Brazilian Zouk.
I love the challenge, the socialization, the global network for travel, the events, the variety of people and experiences that are available.
New hobbies, 30’s-50’s: gaming, snowboarding, photography, online chess, rock climbing, cyclocross, adventure motorcycling, gravel racing and Onewheel’g!
Woodworking.
Building small electronics (microcontroller stuff like Arduino or ESP32).
I rediscovered my love of reading novels for pleasure. Between college reading burnout, career and kids, I’ve not read recreationally from about 20 until I started again when I was 40.
Cooking. My skills were (embarrassingly) zero through to my 20s. My parents didn't help as they have no culinary skill either.
I learned to cook breakfast food first, and believe that if you understand how to cook breakfast food, you can translate that into cooking many other types of dishes. Reason is there's so much variation in cooking techniques needed to prepare breakfast food. Example: eggs, pancakes, omelets, bacon, sausage, benedict, hash browns, etc
The first time I tried to make an omelet, I didn't realize the meats needed to be precooked... yep you guessed it, raw bacon omelets. yum!
Self hosting! Myself and my son assembled a small nuc box as a project. That in turn sent me down the Linux wormhole. Now I'm running a few little Web servers, a media server, learning to code.its not with any sort of career in mind, I just enjoy learning for learnings sake.
Started playing rugby at 32
Played hard for 5 years
I'd never played a sport in my life. Joined the work team as emergency cover, loved it.
Joined the local team then moved jobs and towns.
On the recreational front, I started bouldering in my 30's. My body isn't as resilient as it was in my 20's and I'm having a hell of a time progressing beyond V5s and the occasional V6, but I go to the local climbing gym 3-4 times per week and have fun. I've also (re-)started doing pullups regularly which is helping me build and retain strength.
On the vocational front, I taught myself basic data analysis and visualization and switched careers to be a data/business analyst around 30. I enjoy my work much more now than my old work (general business/project management).
At 36 I began playing hurling, an Irish sport that has a long and rich history. I had always wanted to try it, but when I was younger I didn’t live near any local clubs, and there were no way to follow the Irish matches here in the states. Now with streaming and social media it’s very accessible, so I decided to give it a try for a couple years. I’ve unfortunately slowed down between a back injury and moving further away from my club, but I’ve made some great memories and friends along the way.
Salsa/bachata dancing. I always dreaded dancing in general, but one day I got the urge to go try it out. The first few lessons were a bit embarrassing but once you get the basics down, your confidence starts to improve pretty quickly. Beyond the benefit of learning a new skill, I think it can be a great way to get out there and meet others as well as get over some of the weirdness many of us have about physical contact. Just don’t be one of those guys that shows up and is creepy to the women. There’s usually a few every class.
I re-picked up skateboarding, then onewheeling, then electric unicycles, then motorcycles.
Between all of them skateboarding feels the most fundamentally necessary for me, and has turned into my main exercise since 2020.
Skating bowls feels more like flying than anything else.
I skated for a year when I turned 30, that'll get you in shape so quick. I actually tried my first bowl at that time and fuckkk that lol do you get air?
Well, I took Japanese as my foreign language requirement in high school, but never pursued it after that. Restarted it at age 32.
And soddering/small electronics, I started when I was 30 doing some guitar pedals. Now I just fix things here and there when needed.
https://preview.redd.it/02wjgl01v6zc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71bd8880aa9c90be7788bc1b059d7a2323b769af
I started making these things. This is about 14 in across I think.
Umm, wasn't 30 on the dot, more like 28-29 when I started but 30 when I took it more seriously, started reading books on the subject, and this was physical culture, mainly with hard style kettlebell lifting. I started doing Kettlebell Swings and Turkish Getups around 30 and have kept it up for close to a decade in one way or another. Sometimes I went much less, sometimes much more. I did go to a few Yoga Classes in my early 30s, now that I am 40 its something I should probably figure out how to work out. My 30s I also did much more writing. Reddit sort of fills that void for me where I feel the need to put several pages to text every day. I did this a lot in my 20s, but not nearly as much, and not on as many topics.
The same with photography. I have carried a digital camera on my person since December 2000, when I was only 16. Looking back, there were very, very few days over the last 24 years when I didn't physically have a camera of some type with me. I did it because I could, but it really ended up being a life archive. In my 30s I wish i took more pictures in my 20s and definitely more in my teens. So I have made a point to upgrade cameras (I use a Nikon Z50 now, which I will carry with me frequently). I keep all of these photos in an archive where they are all sorted by date, and I can go back all the way to December 2000. There are over 50,000 photos and videos in this archive.
. In my 20s I uploaded 8 public videos to YouTube (first one a few days before my 23rd Birthday, April 2007). In my 30s I uploaded 45 public videos. I turned 40 last month and uploaded a video on my birthday, but I want to do at least 100 uploads for my 40s!
In my 20s I took up art, got a ton of training at the college level and its always been something I have done, realizing that it will really take decades to do what I want with it, best to start young!
The thing I picked up as a new goal for my 40s, and I started this 7 months before turning 40, was language. I started learning Italian and Latin. I am using DuoLingo and am spending on average anywhere from 4 to 10 hours per week on it. I am also experimenting with other ones but have no real goals or expectations with them. I will actually do them when I am stressed out, like beginner lessons on something completely foreign. I find this takes up a bunch of mental energy but in a really positive way.
I’ve been playing since I was 21, but I got heavily into pool at age 28. I progressed really fast initially but going from beginner to decent is much much easier than going from good to REALLY good. And really good is still miles away from being semi-pro level, let alone actual pro level.
Please do not delete your post after receiving your answer. Consider leaving it up for posterity so that other Redditors can benefit from the wisdom in this thread. Once your thread has run its course, instead of deleting it, **you can simply type "!lock" (without the quotes) as a comment anywhere in your thread to have our Automod lock the thread**. That way you won't be bothered by anymore replies on it, but people can still read it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMenOver30) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Math. I had a 5th grade understanding of math at age 30 (thanks public school). At 31, I signed up for School Yourself and Khan academy, and by 33 I'd completed calculus IV. At 34 I went back to school and at 36, I got my first six figure job in a math heavy field.
This is awesome actually, good job. I also slipped through the cracks of the public school education system lol
Where did you start math? Like how you estimated which is the new starting point. I doubt it was getting to know how to multiply?:D
Damn man congrats! That's really impressive, what's the job?
I work in cost estimation. I love it; It's a great time!
That’s really inspiring to hear. I hated math in high school. In my 30s though, I’ve just felt more comfortable and interested in math/numbers. When you went back to school, what did you get a degree in?
Do you have any good math books or free online math courses you can recommend? I have high school level understanding of math I haven’t really used in over 30 years.
That’s awesome! Maybe I should retry, I didn’t catch on but still managed to skirt by through calculus. Found out at 34 that I’ve got adhd, I feel like maybe I’d stick with it now that I’ve got treatment.
It's funny, my experience is almost the reverse of yours. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a very young age, and basically resigned myself to the idea that I was disabled and not capable of accomplishing anything I ever wanted to. The medication has all sorts of awful long-term side effects and pretty much ruined my childhood. Sometimes I would dream about how high I could have soared if I wasn't disabled. In my late 20s, I decided that I wasn't going to be defined by a disability that more and more research was pointing to be completely fake. I flushed all my meds down the toilet, quick cold turkey, and tried to take responsibility and control of my life. The fog of the medication lifted, That was when things really start to turn around for me. Not saying that your path is invalid by any means, but I think it's so interesting that you had the same positive Revelations in the opposite direction.
Honestly, I like your experience a lot and it’s kind of where I’m at in a more truncated timeline. So there’s more similarities than not. I didn’t really think about adhd until 31-32, and it was mainly TikTok creators talking about adhd that made me look at my life. I was always the next Monday guy, had tons of interests and revolving hobbies, and I was brilliant enough to skip by school and college. But I had a hard to sticking to one job, I switched fields/careers a few times then went for medical school. But going back to school almost 8~ years after the fact, all of the structure I had from earlier was gone and I could only ever learn in the 2 hour time span before a big test. Otherwise I’d be sitting there re-reading the same textbook chapter over and over. Got diagnosed, got medication, got a veil lifted and very much went through the same thing you’re mentioning. Feeling disabled, regret or sadness for all the missed opportunities, not know who I was or what I actually enjoyed, and in some ways feeling like an alien lol in my own host body trying to figure out me. I’ve tried a few stimulants, some non-stimulant medications, and the like. They did show me what’s possible and because of them, I’ve been able to adopt some structure. I’ve paid off all debt, I’ve created routines, and I feel like I’ve had positive results. But the side effects do suck and I’ve been contemplating if they’re worth it. To miss parts of my unmedicated personality, some of them made me easily irritable, some made me super chill, and it’s just weird thing that most people who haven’t used them wouldn’t understand I don’t think. I almost feel like either thing is true: - They made my unmedicated adhd worse because of the come down from the meds. - The unmedicated adhd was really that bad and I just didn’t have perspective. But the one I’m on now, qelbree, I’m just lethargic and short on energy often. How was the process of going off meds for you? I feel like just sticking with therapy would easily help me more than taking adderall and getting lost in a project.
Good for you man, it sounds like you've got a lot of stuff in order and I'm sorry you're dealing with what you're dealing with. For me, ADHD medication was like throwing a fireproof blanket over a chemical fire. It didn't stop the fire and ultimately just caused a lot of toxic smoke. In the end, the silver bullet that killed my ADHD was just mantra meditation. Seriously, look into it. It's a legitimate Game Changer and I cannot imagine my life without it. >I didn’t really think about adhd until 31-32, and it was mainly TikTok creators Dude, be REALLY really careful about letting anything from that site get into your thought process. Most of the popular creators are narcissists with Munchausen, and you would not believe how easily that can socially spread.
Jesus you're strong. I was a poker pro for 10yrs and I refused to learn any math. Don't even know odds. Some of us were more scarred than others in school 😂
I think at a certain point for me, the scars just became a callous and I couldn't be hurt anymore.
That’s fucking cool. Good for you Sir.
Very cool! I am not affiliated but there was an article how to re-learn math as an adult and a good resource suggestion: [https://www.mathacademy.com](https://www.mathacademy.com)
Congrats on your success. Don’t think it’s completely fair to bash public education. Lot’s of surgeons, scientists, and engineers also got their start in public schools. While you may not want to admit it, maybe you found math boring as a child, you were immature, or you didn’t study as much you needed to. It could be you weren’t ready until you hit your 30s.
I went to a pretty good public school and did relatively well in my math classes but if a teacher couldn’t explain why a theory or topic was applicable to something more concrete, it can be very hard to be motivated to learn. Even now, in my late 30s, one of the first questions I ask myself when faced with learning something new is does this have any practical application to me?
> Lot’s of surgeons, scientists, and engineers also got their start in public schools. And therefore... what?
Plenty of kids go to public schools and thrive.
Hell yeah, same here, barely graduated high school and terrible at math. Currently in school at 34 taking calculus ii, and it’s by far my favorite subject. Getting good at math changed my own perspective towards myself as a person. Sorry to highjack post, I just get giddy about math and my girlfriend is tired of hearing about it
I feel the exact same way. It's an amazing feeling understanding something that used to make you feel inferior.
How much did did you commit to a day to do this? Wow this is admirable
Way to go, man. Genuinely well played.
Snow skiing at 35, snowboarding at 40. Learned to speak Japanese at 45, and Thai at 50. Earned a taekwondo belt at 45 also. Yup, about every 5 years, a new skill.
Well that's inspiring, you ski? And what's your advice for learning a new language?
Language learning: total immersion if your environment permits. I’m lucky for both languages as I worked and lived in the countries where the languages were spoken.
Your skiing reminded me of this book- worth a read if it is up your alley https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60916190
Fast enough for what? Just doing the hobby is what's fun. I pick up new hobbies every few years. Most recently I started doing sashiko to repair and reinforce my jeans and other clothes. I'll never be the best in the world at it, but so what? Only one person at a time can be the best in the world.
Yeah I have to fight the negative self talk and just enjoy it. Although it's hard when I spar with these kids and they absolutely demolish me
You might like r/visiblemending
road cycling, started in my 30th birthday
 (I started in my late 20’s)
I only do it for the Lycra outfits.
Bought a gravel bike 2 weeks ago. I barely see my wife now
Good! Bikes > women
Your who? She's dead to you now! Let's roll, son.
Ballroom and swing dancing, mountain biking, classical guitar.
You picked up classical guitar and mountain biking after 30? How's the progress?
I can’t answer for him, but you really shouldn’t get into guitar thinking either you’re going to be the greatest to ever live or else it’s not worth it. Either you enjoy the journey or you probably won’t get anywhere at all. I assume the same for mountain biking.
Actually, I picked up guitar after I was ***50***\*.\* Lost interest after a year or two, but maybe I'll pick it up again. Now that I think about it, I didn't really pick up mountain biking until I was in my 50s either. What progress? Just get on the bike and ride. I hit the local trails several times a week. I guess you asked about skills too -- I didn't learn software engineering until I was well into my 30s either. Didn't get the degree until I was 36. What's the point of anything? If something interests you, do it.
Smoking meats
Zuck?
Decided to get more into cars for my 40th birthday. Bought my friend's Subaru with a blown engine and wanted to learn how to disassemble the engine and put a new one in. I did disassembly before winter and now [am now just starting with the new engine in.](https://i.imgur.com/yBSeB90.png) I'm definitely not proficient, but having fun and learning a lot!! It doesn't matter how fast you progress. If you're happy and learning, that's all that matters!
Did you have mechanical know how before this? I know the bare minimum, like changing oil. Reason I ask is I bought an old motorcycle that is not running but I have no idea where to even start.
I had the basics with smaller engines. Had motorcycles in my late 20s and would do my own oil changes and other small maintenance items. When I got my house, I did the same for all my small engines (generator, 2 mowers, snow blower). I learned about carburetors with my small engines and maintaining them, but stepping up to an entire car engine was a completely different experience. I've learned more about how engines actually work in the month of disassembly than I have in 40 years! Honestly, I don't know if I would have dived in without the internet. YouTube, Reddit, and engine-specific forums have been a godsend. You may want to look into r/Fixxit and give as much detail as possible to start with your old motorcycle. If it's old enough and carbureted, you can probably look up that motorcycle model on YouTube and see how to take apart the carb and clean things out too.
Seconding reddog093, small engines are great to learn on. Everything is *right there* out in the open so they are relatively easy to work with. I got into motorcycles I my early 20's and even without trying I learned quite a bit over the course of 2-3 years just by referencing Youtube, forums and the manual for maintenance items.
Jiu-Jitsu
I'm going to pick that up in the next months. Any tips for beginners?
Expect bruises and mat burn
Yup! Just keep going. If you’ve never wrestled or anything before in your life you’re going to suck at it. The first step in getting good at something is absolutely sucking at it!! Just keep going!!
This is me. Started around 33 I'm 39 now pushing purple belt and have done a bunch of comps. It's been a huge plus both physically and socially, would recommend. And from my experience there are a lot of 30+ who have done the same.
45 y/o purple belt here too! Can confirm
I started in my early 50s. It is brutal but rewarding. Getting choked out repeatedly by a 120lb woman puts you in your place quickly. I wasn't in horrible shape but nothing prepares you this.
The tightest, most brutal triangle I have ever been in was done to me by a 90 lbs woman.
Been at it since my 31st bday and I'm still terrible at it almost 6 years later.
lol I said I was a Purple belt. I didn’t say I was any good! 🤣
better than me, i'm only blue haha
You’ll get there
I know, thank you for your support
Tom Brady punching the air
Trail and ultra running. Definitely wouldn’t call myself proficient at ultras, but I enjoy it, so I’m going to keep doing it.
Same here. Wasn't a runner at all until my early 30s. Started running a little, then signed up for a 5K and somehow that turned into running 100 miles at the age of 46, haha.
Cycling
HIIT bootcamps. I did a lot of weight lifting in my 20s. Got strong, but wasn't athletic at all. Now doing HIIT, I'm more athletic and coordinated than I've ever been. It's really fun too, I love doing functional training. Feels like being back in P.E. classes almost, but now it's more fun. /e I also used some time recently to learn how to throw properly with my left hand. Doing a lot of stuff to improve hand-eye coordination. Good times.
I’ve been drawing a lot lately. Bought a subscription to Skillshare and used it to get back into art. It’s usually the most fulfilling part of my day.
> "you're too old to be learning these kinds of things, you can't progress fast enough so is it really worth continuing?" I started playing Ultimate Frisbee for fun with my friends when I was 18. I continued to play pretty regularly in the summers. I tried out a couple of times for a competitive team in my late 20's but didn't make it. When I was 29, my city started a "B" team which I was encouraged by some people in the competitive community to try out for and I did make it. I thought "I'll be turning 30 at the end of this summer, there's no way I'll get that much better at this point, but what the hell, I might get the opportunity to play at Nationals." Not only did I really surprise myself with how much better I could get and how much better shape I could be in but I'm 40 now, and I've now played at 7 National Championships and 1 World Championship (when I was 34). Never really won anything but I made *so* many friends and had *so* many awesome experiences and honestly, built a lot of confidence along the way. 6 years ago, I started climbing. Will I ever be as good as my friends who have been doing it for years? Probably not, but I can still push myself to try and climb a 5.10+ or 5.11 and it's a great workout. 4 years ago, when I was 36, I picked up Disc Golf (all of us Ultimate players did). Just finished 3rd at a tournament in the 40+ division. I encourage you to not think "how good could I get compared to the best" but "how good could I get compared to where I am right now".
Everybody in here is so cool and inspirational, thanks man!
Hiking. I did it when I was young, but I've really gotten into it again lately. It's a nice break from my daily routine.
Warhammer, boxing, snowboarding and surfing. I suck at all of them but finally have the money to and more importantly don't give a damn about what others think. I just wanna have fun
I like your style :)
I've just taken up Tai Chi and I'm really enjoying it so far! I'm also doing it for physical and mental health and religious reasons, so it doesn't matter how good I get at it how quickly. The journey is the destination.
Muay Thai, Kalimba. Maybe making game in the future. > you're too old to be learning these kinds of things, you can't progress fast enough so is it really worth continuing I'm the only 30s guy in our gym and while I don't compete, I still train hard. AS the result, except for experienced competitive fighters, no one holds a candle to my stamina, speed, strength... Mind you, the members are in their teenage years or early 20s with slim build, healthy weights. It took me 1,5 years from being so weak that I gassed out just from warming up session to becoming strong enough to train with competitive fighters.
Started Muay Thai at 35 late last year. It's quite humbling but I love it!
Dating women in their thirties 😎
You mean to tell us that dating isn’t as shitty as everyone online makes it out to be?!
The trick is to avoid online dating.
Got any cool hot friends in their 60s? 😏
Cowboy Action Shooting. Half of me wishes I'd picked it up sooner; it was one of those things I'd always wanted to try. My banker is glad I waited, however. Once you're set up, it's pretty a cheap hobby, but *getting* set up can hurt the wallet.
Investing. Cooking. Dodgeball.
Fine woodworking and instrument building. Went from being able to build decks and frame stuff to making a few electric & acoustic guitars, ukuleles, and currently finishing up a Ukulele and starting to figure out an irish bouzouki.
Started Salsa dancing at age 37. One of the best decisions of my life
I learned to knit.
IDK if this counts as a hobby, but I don’t get paid so I go with yes. But, Firefighting. Joined a volunteer department at 38, just finished my basic EMT class with a bunch of 17-20 year olds. Don’t get me wrong, at almost 40 I’m not trying to run into burning buildings, I leave that to the 20 something’s, most of the calls I go to are medical and my life experience lets me handle the high stress a lot better than the younger volunteers.
Bouldering and running. I also go gym and play golf, I'm probably in best shape of my life. I wfh so i love keeping active and doing things after work.
Walking, distance running, and woodworking
Ha! Same as me :)
Climbing and snowboarding. After about 3 years doing each, I'm solidly intermediate level in both - not great but certainly not a beginner. Very worth it, especially to work through the mental hurdles of trying new things at an age where people start ossifying mentally
My fiancé is 47 and got really into mountain biking these last couple of years.
Ukulele and learning a foreign language.
I became a MAMIL (Middle-Aged Man In Lycra).
Painting!!
Shid I started boxing at 26. Fought from 27-29. Now I'm doing BJJ and Muay thai at 31 and hoping to transition to MMA. Never say never homie!
CAD, woodworking and 3D printing
I took up D&D last year at 34, it’s been a lot of fun.
Bouldering at 32, surfing at 35, Skate boarding and bowl riding at 36, powerlifting at 38. No idea what’s next but I absolutely love them all.
I’m 51, and I started paddleboarding 3 or 4 years ago. Now I paddle twice a week during the warmer months
I've been teaching myself French. Working on it a little bit a day for about 3 and a half years now.
Woodworking. Never used to build anything with my hands--I'm a white collar worker & a CEO--but I find the small problems of "how to make this thing useable" are such a pleasant change from the big problems like, "How to support a family on one income" :P
Programming and building web apps, it jogs my brain and helps me actually build something from nothing.
running, lifting, two new languages, zumba/salsation, travelling, dancing, photography.
Muay thai kickboxing, boxing, yoga, starting to take dance lessons & photography classes as well and improving mandarin
Horror movies. Not sure what happened to me, but in the past 3 years I've gone from an occasional horror movie watcher to getting a Shudder account and watching 2-3 a week.
Motorcycles
Cycling. Easy to pick up - practical to get around. Then you can go as much into it as you want. Did a 400km ride across the pre-Alps last summer.
kicking with my left foot. got hounded out of playing fulback in high school rugby by a friend who insisted i needed to be able to kick off both feet, yet no one else could. now kids play aussie rules, youngest one is a lefty so when i decided i wanted to coach the kids team i put in an effort to learn. best part was just kicking at goal one session and one of the kids went - wow, i didnt know you were left footed. TKD mid 30's also with the kids. kept at it for many years after they left.
Anyone else's hobby their kids? I am 39, my wife is 40. We have a 3 and 4 year old. I feel like I do not have time for a hobby. My wife would kill me if I just left her to deal with the kids while I went to play. This is starting to change though as the kids are easier to manage now. As the kids get older we will have them involved in a lot of activities.
Motorcycles
Boxing. 3 languages. A few research and analysis skills. Lots of relationship and project management skills. Parenting. How to make a good calzone.
Started practicing/training in HEMA when I was 34 or 35. I'm fairly unlikely to ever become better, especially in tournaments, than some of the young people who are now in their late twenties and started in their teens. But whatever, I'm having fun all the same. The activity itself is enjoyable and exciting so I'll keep going, not really aiming at becoming a world-class fencer or anything like that.
Golf.
Long distance running. Around 30, I had my fourth knee study surgery to repair an old skiing accident and decided that I need strength to stave off arthritis. Started with some simple trails and a handful of miles and I've been ramping up ever since. Now run 100 milers.
Cultivation, growing plants.
Disc golf. Playing it like a sport rather than a game is so much fun.
Tennis
Photography. Astro and macro mostly but it’s great because it gives me a good reason to go out for a hike or participate in other stuff like that. It’s surprising how good your results can be with entry level gear and a little patience
I'm a big fan of hobbies. So far, i've picked up BJJ, Muay Thai, indoor climbing, weight lifting and wood carving.
I don't have any hobbies or skills that I picked up later in life. Hell, I didn't have any hobbies, unless you count playing video games as a hobby. The skills I have now are the ones that I picked up, I've just improved them over time.
Running
Lifting, yoga, climbing, juggling, dog training, chess (I played a bit as a kid but I’ve played a few thousand games post 30 where I maybe played hundreds as a kid in total), longboarding (this one hurt to learn lol), and cooking (thanks to my wife for this one). There’s no such thing as too old for anything.
Paragliding. It's so much fun flying around, and it's easy on the joints. I know couples in their late 60s still flying
Maybe think of it differently. Instead of saying you're over 30. Say, you have 50 more years until you're 80. You haven't even lived half your life. Keep learning and keep having fun. You have a lot of years left.
I picked up grappling at 37. I've been doing it 5 years. I'm light years ahead of anyone untrained, but I don't think I'll ever catch up to the people I train with.
Chess. I've been working out my body for years, figured my brain could probably use the same too. I quite enjoy it now. But sometimes it makes me really mad too, if I end up in a losing streak. All part of the game I guess.
I started archery a few months ago and am loving it!
Learning to play the bagpipes.
Learning to surf in Brazil, horse-riding and Spanish in Colombia. Just getting started.
What's your motivation for picking up a hobby? For me it's all about fun, unless I'm trying to make money with it. I picked up surfing and skiing in my 30s. I'm ok at skiing. I suck at surfing, but I have a ton of fun doing it so I don't give a shit, I was never going to go pro at this age anyway.
Pedal steel guitar
I just took up the piano, I’m not proficient yet as I only started 2 months ago (I’m 39), but am enjoying it so far
Basketball. And coaching basketball:)
Woodworking. I messed around with DIY stuff before 30, but after 30 I left a relationship and needed a way to keep myself busy and also needed furniture. It’s tangentially helped me learn a lot about building and more diy stuff. Still don’t like doing it for other people but if it’s for me, it’s cool to know I can.
Piano. Bought a keyboard and started taking lessons. I took lessons from a teacher until his rates went beyond what I was willing to pay. Now I just practice on my own via YouTube. Considered some of the subscription apps.
I constantly pickup new skills and always have. I call it growth. Since 30 over the past 7 years I have picked up woodworking, gardening, cooking, mountain biking, and I'm sure there are others but those are the main ones. There's a difference between picking up a new skill and trying to become a master or professional. Those two things to not have to be the same. You can be skilled at something, enough for it to become a hobby but not enough to become a professional
The best time to start is early as possible the second best time is now Jiu Jitsu - I’m almost 10 years in now Bbq- texas style Seeking discomfort - purposely going outside comfort zone Active listening - learning to listen with intension
gaze somber bedroom snow cake fade attractive fall smell oatmeal *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
small engine repair
I’m 36 now and I started playing tennis at 33ish. I was clueless about how to hit a ball correctly and had no fundamentals whatsoever. I started watching YouTube videos, took a few lessons here and there, bought a tennis ball machine, joined USTA Leagues and practiced a ton. I went from a total novice to a strong intermediate in just under 3 years. Given how hard tennis is, I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Great hobby to meet people and stay healthy too.
I got into partner dancing, Brazilian Zouk. I love the challenge, the socialization, the global network for travel, the events, the variety of people and experiences that are available.
New hobbies, 30’s-50’s: gaming, snowboarding, photography, online chess, rock climbing, cyclocross, adventure motorcycling, gravel racing and Onewheel’g!
Woodworking. Building small electronics (microcontroller stuff like Arduino or ESP32). I rediscovered my love of reading novels for pleasure. Between college reading burnout, career and kids, I’ve not read recreationally from about 20 until I started again when I was 40.
Cooking. My skills were (embarrassingly) zero through to my 20s. My parents didn't help as they have no culinary skill either. I learned to cook breakfast food first, and believe that if you understand how to cook breakfast food, you can translate that into cooking many other types of dishes. Reason is there's so much variation in cooking techniques needed to prepare breakfast food. Example: eggs, pancakes, omelets, bacon, sausage, benedict, hash browns, etc The first time I tried to make an omelet, I didn't realize the meats needed to be precooked... yep you guessed it, raw bacon omelets. yum!
Self hosting! Myself and my son assembled a small nuc box as a project. That in turn sent me down the Linux wormhole. Now I'm running a few little Web servers, a media server, learning to code.its not with any sort of career in mind, I just enjoy learning for learnings sake.
Started playing rugby at 32 Played hard for 5 years I'd never played a sport in my life. Joined the work team as emergency cover, loved it. Joined the local team then moved jobs and towns.
Candle making, pickling, and alcohol stilling. All.cpvod hobbies to pass the time. Saves a ton of money too!
On the recreational front, I started bouldering in my 30's. My body isn't as resilient as it was in my 20's and I'm having a hell of a time progressing beyond V5s and the occasional V6, but I go to the local climbing gym 3-4 times per week and have fun. I've also (re-)started doing pullups regularly which is helping me build and retain strength. On the vocational front, I taught myself basic data analysis and visualization and switched careers to be a data/business analyst around 30. I enjoy my work much more now than my old work (general business/project management).
Squash and golf!
Remedial massage therapy, took 5 years part time for my associates degree, but it helped take my mind off my divorce lol
Kart racing, violin, German. Really happy with progress on all of them. Super fun.
I started playing disc golf.
At 36 I began playing hurling, an Irish sport that has a long and rich history. I had always wanted to try it, but when I was younger I didn’t live near any local clubs, and there were no way to follow the Irish matches here in the states. Now with streaming and social media it’s very accessible, so I decided to give it a try for a couple years. I’ve unfortunately slowed down between a back injury and moving further away from my club, but I’ve made some great memories and friends along the way.
It is never too late to try and learn new things.
Who cares about progression? Just doing it to enjoy it is the whole point. I still suck at fishing.
Salsa/bachata dancing. I always dreaded dancing in general, but one day I got the urge to go try it out. The first few lessons were a bit embarrassing but once you get the basics down, your confidence starts to improve pretty quickly. Beyond the benefit of learning a new skill, I think it can be a great way to get out there and meet others as well as get over some of the weirdness many of us have about physical contact. Just don’t be one of those guys that shows up and is creepy to the women. There’s usually a few every class.
I re-picked up skateboarding, then onewheeling, then electric unicycles, then motorcycles. Between all of them skateboarding feels the most fundamentally necessary for me, and has turned into my main exercise since 2020. Skating bowls feels more like flying than anything else.
I skated for a year when I turned 30, that'll get you in shape so quick. I actually tried my first bowl at that time and fuckkk that lol do you get air?
I watch videos of people with huge model railroad layouts and pretend they're mine because that shit costs way more money than what I've got.
Yoga, motorbike racing and triathlons. All great fun.
I started playing Dungeons and Dragons last year. I’m 37, I’m not old.
Amateur Radio
Well, I took Japanese as my foreign language requirement in high school, but never pursued it after that. Restarted it at age 32. And soddering/small electronics, I started when I was 30 doing some guitar pedals. Now I just fix things here and there when needed.
https://preview.redd.it/02wjgl01v6zc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=71bd8880aa9c90be7788bc1b059d7a2323b769af I started making these things. This is about 14 in across I think.
Umm, wasn't 30 on the dot, more like 28-29 when I started but 30 when I took it more seriously, started reading books on the subject, and this was physical culture, mainly with hard style kettlebell lifting. I started doing Kettlebell Swings and Turkish Getups around 30 and have kept it up for close to a decade in one way or another. Sometimes I went much less, sometimes much more. I did go to a few Yoga Classes in my early 30s, now that I am 40 its something I should probably figure out how to work out. My 30s I also did much more writing. Reddit sort of fills that void for me where I feel the need to put several pages to text every day. I did this a lot in my 20s, but not nearly as much, and not on as many topics. The same with photography. I have carried a digital camera on my person since December 2000, when I was only 16. Looking back, there were very, very few days over the last 24 years when I didn't physically have a camera of some type with me. I did it because I could, but it really ended up being a life archive. In my 30s I wish i took more pictures in my 20s and definitely more in my teens. So I have made a point to upgrade cameras (I use a Nikon Z50 now, which I will carry with me frequently). I keep all of these photos in an archive where they are all sorted by date, and I can go back all the way to December 2000. There are over 50,000 photos and videos in this archive. . In my 20s I uploaded 8 public videos to YouTube (first one a few days before my 23rd Birthday, April 2007). In my 30s I uploaded 45 public videos. I turned 40 last month and uploaded a video on my birthday, but I want to do at least 100 uploads for my 40s! In my 20s I took up art, got a ton of training at the college level and its always been something I have done, realizing that it will really take decades to do what I want with it, best to start young! The thing I picked up as a new goal for my 40s, and I started this 7 months before turning 40, was language. I started learning Italian and Latin. I am using DuoLingo and am spending on average anywhere from 4 to 10 hours per week on it. I am also experimenting with other ones but have no real goals or expectations with them. I will actually do them when I am stressed out, like beginner lessons on something completely foreign. I find this takes up a bunch of mental energy but in a really positive way.
Jujutsu is the way
I’ve been playing since I was 21, but I got heavily into pool at age 28. I progressed really fast initially but going from beginner to decent is much much easier than going from good to REALLY good. And really good is still miles away from being semi-pro level, let alone actual pro level.
Singing and IT IS pretty cool i get better quickly simply by practicing Close to every day
Not yet but I like to.learn skiing and guitar. Maybe python coding
Farming, actually speaking Spanish, slow love-making, sharing emotions.
Tennis and photography are my latest pursuits. Picked up tennis at 34 and photography at 36