Please note: The above picture was taken at our wedding by the wonderful Ben Braybrooke.
Growing older has a funny way of changing your priorities.
When I was younger, I thought becoming an adult meant having everything figured out. A spotless home, an organised calendar, a healthy social life, perfectly folded laundry... you know, the sort of person who probably remembers to water their houseplants.
Spoiler alert: I am not that person.
What has changed, though, is the amount of energy I spend worrying about things that don't actually matter.
Somewhere between getting older, reading more books, going on camping trips and generally realising that life is too short, I started letting go of things that used to take up far too much space in my head.
Honestly? It's been wonderfully freeing.
Here are 15 things I stopped caring about as I got older and why I'm much happier because of it.
1. People Thinking I'm Boring
If staying in with a good book, a takeaway and the dog makes me boring...
Brilliant.
There was a time when I'd say yes to plans simply because I thought I should. Now I know that protecting my energy is far more valuable than forcing myself onto a night out I'd rather skip.
My idea of a perfect Friday night has changed, and I'm completely fine with that.
2. Finishing Every Book I Start
I used to treat giving up on a book like some sort of personal failure.
Now?
If I'm not enjoying it, it's going back on the shelf.
Life is far too short, and there are far too many brilliant books waiting to be read.
3. Having a Perfectly Tidy Home
Would I like my flat to look like a Pinterest board every day?
Absolutely.
Does it?
Not unless someone's coming round.
Sometimes the washing stays in the basket for an extra day. Sometimes there's camping gear drying in the hallway. Sometimes both happen at once.
And the world keeps turning.
4. Owning the Latest Everything
There was definitely a phase where I convinced myself a new gadget, outfit or home accessory would somehow transform my life.
It rarely did.
These days, I'd much rather buy something I'll genuinely use than something that's simply trending.
5. Saying No
This one has taken practice.
I used to worry endlessly about disappointing people.
Now I've realised that saying "no" to something I don't want to do is often saying "yes" to something I do, whether that's rest, reading, spending time with family or simply having an evening with absolutely no plans.
6. Comparing My Timeline to Everyone Else's
Social media has a wonderful way of making it feel like everyone else is travelling the world, running half marathons and somehow meal-prepping for the entire week before breakfast on a Sunday.
The reality?
Everyone's life looks different.
And that's exactly how it's supposed to be.
7. Always Looking Busy
For some reason, being busy used to feel like an achievement.
Now I actively protect quiet evenings.
I've learnt that being constantly busy isn't the same thing as being happy.
8. Following Every Trend
Fashion trends.
Book trends.
TikTok trends.
Some I love.
Some make me wonder if everyone else is seeing something I'm not.
I've become much happier buying, wearing and reading things because I like them and not because the internet told me I should.
9. Apologising for My Hobbies
I read over 100 books a year.
I get ridiculously excited about camping.
I can spend far too long researching random things.
None of these hobbies are particularly glamorous, but they make me happy.
That's enough.
10. Being Productive All the Time
Some evenings are for getting things done.
Others are for lying on the sofa watching rubbish TV while claiming I'll "just read one chapter" before accidentally staying up until midnight.
Both are perfectly acceptable.
11. Pleasing Everyone
This is perhaps the hardest lesson.
No matter what you do, someone will disagree with you.
Someone won't like you.
Someone will misunderstand you.
Once I accepted that, life became much less exhausting.
12. Looking Perfect in Photos
The older I get, the more I value having the memory over having the perfect picture.
Some of my favourite photos are blurry, windswept and taken halfway through a camping trip where absolutely nobody looked camera-ready.
They're still my favourites.
13. Missing Out
I've discovered that saying no to one thing usually means saying yes to something better suited to me.
Missing one party won't ruin your social life.
Skipping one trend won't make you irrelevant.
Not watching the latest TV series immediately won't cause national outrage.
Probably.
14. Making Every Hobby "Useful"
Not everything needs to become a side hustle.
Reading doesn't have to improve my productivity.
Camping doesn't have to teach me life lessons.
Sometimes hobbies are allowed to exist simply because they're enjoyable.
Imagine that.
15. Having Everything Figured Out
This might be the biggest one.
I used to think adults reached a magical age where they suddenly knew exactly what they were doing.
I'm increasingly convinced we're all just making it up as we go.
And honestly?
That's quite comforting.
Final Thoughts
Getting older hasn't meant caring less about everything.
It's meant caring more carefully.
I've stopped wasting energy on trying to meet impossible standards and started focusing on the people, hobbies and experiences that genuinely make me happy.
Am I still a work in progress?
Absolutely.
Will I still occasionally compare myself to strangers on the internet before reminding myself to stop?
Almost certainly.
But I'm much kinder to myself than I used to be.
And I think that's one of the best parts about getting older.
Molly
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