Have you picked up any new skill from scratch in your 40s or later?

I've always thought it's important to learn something significant in each decade of life. In my 20s I started teaching and doing long-distance bicycling trips. In my 30s I moved from NYC to Alaska, and started doing mountain rescue work. In my 40s I started writing and learned to drive a boat on the ocean. That was intimidating in a fishing town, where it feels like everyone else has known how to drive a boat since they were three years old.

In my 50s I hope to learn a musical instrument, although that's a couple years away so who knows what's in store then.

Learning something new keeps us young and humble, and engaged. It also connects us with people outside our current bubble. People talk about our minds becoming less elastic as we age, but that's offset by practice at learning new things. I do think it's good to learn things with some element of risk from time to time; it's part of what keeps us sharp, and forces us to evaluate our own competency level.

What are you interested in learning?

Machining. It started with YouTube. I picked up a lot of concepts and that set my brain to recognize these tools. Then I randomly bought a milling supply company basically for almost nothing while shopping for interesting deals.

Well, now I have multiple tons of milling tooling and so obviously I need a 3-ton milling machine. Looking at an older CNC mill.

So that’s one skill. Another is automotive repair. My skill level is high enough to do engine replacement. Just bought a car lift today to make everything easier. This does intersect with other skills - I use oscilloscope for automotive troubleshooting, which is not far from software engineering and electronics. This led me to almost opening a mobile A/C repair business. I acquired most of the equipment I needed and got certified for federal licenses. This got delayed because of the machine shop company that fell into my lap. That’s just a much bigger opportunity.

I can credit YouTube for introducing me to many interesting skills and hobbies.

Competitive dancing. I have been a good dancer since 16 years of age, but then I studied with world championship teams. At that point, the dance is a tightly choreographed athletic activity. I was going to start competing this year, but that will have to wait a little. There are various age categories, so I can compete on equal terms with other similar couples.

Relearning math. I am not terrible at it, but I am attempting to create a curriculum that does not focus on rote memorization.

Hey all, I've been a web developer all my life (first job in 2002), but started a masters in gamedev a few months ago (I've since turned 41), and enjoying it immensely.

My partner and I have kids (7 and 4), with no family nearby to "hand over" the kids to. We're pretty much on our own. Somehow, with less time we accomplish more.

I suppose it's not a drastic change from my day-to-day (like learning a musical instrument, a dance, or a language), but it's new to me, and something I want to do more of in the coming years.

The ways I incorporate it into family time are: designing pen&paper games and playing them with the kids; designing levels/characters, and drawing/doodling with the kids; coming up with narratives/stories and telling them to the kids.

I'm a gamer. When my wife and I first got together, we played a lot of games together (Resident Evil on the sofa, Scrabble/Carcassonne at the pub). She works in TV and one of her first jobs was with Gamepad [1] (we're still good friends with Violet and family). So, the games runs deep, and I would love to spend more of my time making them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamepad_(TV_series)

Maybe not the example you seek, but I learned programming (web development) from scratch when I was 37yo. I did it online (freeCodeCamp), by myself. 6 to 8 hours a day for about 8 months until I got my first job.

Now I am 41, I am still new to the new career and continuously out of my comfort zone. But once I am more used to the pace and life of a programmer, I will probably want to learn something else. No idea what yet, but I will.

- Guitar, I think the benefits of learning a musical instrument are self evident by now. Keep it fun, and there's a lot of enjoyment to be had from each step forward. I started when I was 30ish through in-person lessons, one on one, in the early days.

- Unicycle, difficult to get started but well worth pushing through just for the moment when you're upright and somewhat stable. A colleague taught me in the office.

- Surfing, mid-thirties for this one. Learnt through friends, really pushes you as there's a lot to contend with and understand early on. Wind, tides, swell, fitness, skill, reading the waves, kit and more. 99% sitting around cold or underwater 1% actually on a wave for me.

- Walking, super accessible.

Yes - standup comedy. I’m 47. Started 2 years ago, background mostly “nerdy” and not hyper social. Have done some paid gigs and performed for crowds of up to 150.

And at 38 learnt rock climbing ... got quite far with that until was stopped by an injury.

Also more recently podcasting and literally today Adobe Audition. More nerdy I guess but still.

Somehow programming is a good career to have a mindset of “I can learn anything”. The only thing I really think speaks against age when it comes to learning new things is your ability to dedicate time to get deep into whatever you’re learning. Job, family and other commitments etc can make it harder but if you’re willing to sacrifice some Netflix time many things become possible. Perhaps the other point is motivation - I won’t “waste time” learning things if I’m not highly motivated to do it - perhaps it’s an awareness that time is more precious now, I don’t know.

I'm only 35 but I've continued to pick up skills throughout my life and I've only increased it as I got older:

    - Started learning masonry and general handyman work in 2018 (33 years old)
    - Started learning Spanish in 2019 (34 years old)
    - Started learning piano in 2020 (35 years old)

My goal for 2021 is to learn a lot about electricity, batteries, etc. and would like to build a little off-grid backup

I learned machining, and made gears in a production setting, mostly straight bevel, but some spur, helical and internals. I also did thread milling. Shifting from computers to a job shop gave me great insight into the needs of industry, previously my work was in only tangentially related IT.

I started learning at PumpingStation One, Chicago's Makerspace, it turned out I really like turning metal into finished pieces and piles of chips. My nickname was "Metal Mike", I became the area host, and when a member's Dad needed someone to make gears, no experience necessary, I jumped at it, at age 53. If you bought a Marvel 18" bandsaw between 2016 and the spring, odds are I made the lower bandwheel that drives the blade.

I learned that making things with a precision of about the thickness of a human hair is relatively easy, in quantity. I know more about gears and gearing than I ever thought I could know... and that was only scratching the surface in 5 years. I will try hard not to assume something is easy in the future.

Since then, I'm trying to catch up, I want to go back into Programming, which I did before being a system admin for 15 years... my last major code was in Turbo Pascal for DOS. I did little side gigs, learning GIT, Python, a bit of C++/Arduino, MySQL, etc.

I've been reading everything I can, subscribed to /r/pascal, /r/programming and /r/programminglanguage on reddit where I answer a few and mostly read questions.

Hopefully, I'll be able to start earning a living in coding again soon.

[Edit] To answer a downstream question, we have a child, you have less free time, but more inspiration.

I started taking weight training seriously about a year ago, Then came the virus and the lock-downs. Gyms closed for weeks where I live. At the moment they are still closed again. I didn't want to build a home gym with heavy weights, especially because hopefully gyms will open again some day.

I also didn't want to lose the muscle I built which made me segue into body weight training and calisthenics. Previously I had never been interested in any of that but for the moment it is something I'm really enjoying and I'm making good progress with. I think I will stick to it in addition to the weight training even when gyms are opening up again.

I will be 40 soon.

I picked up the rudiments of Sanskrit enough to be able to understand lectures in the language and read straightforward prose. I also gained a basic understanding of Indic philosophy, but I suppose that is not a skill. Now my aim is to deepen these skills to more advanced levels.

Currently I am also trying to learn Physics and Mathematics at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. It's taking forever because I keep getting distracted with life generally. But my aim is nothing less than gaining a solid grasp of our current modern understanding of how the universe works. I hope to get somewhere respectable by the time I am 45.

IMO, age is not a problem but time management and responsibilities as others have mentioned. If you are raising kids or taking care of elder people, but you have poor management skills, or maybe you're just overwhelmed... then it's going to be problem to learn something, even if it's improving your knowledge in something you're already familiar with.

I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 39. Motivation was that I had just taught my oldest daughter to ride and I wanted to be able to go out with her. Also proving that yes, it is possible to teach people things you have never done yourself.

I picked up a cheap hybrid bike (about $250) from Dicks Sporting Goods and just started putzing around the backyard until I felt confident enough to go out on asphalt. Took a week or two, then I was out cruising the neighborhood.

I don't consider myself good at all, but now I know how to do it.

I'm not in the age demographic you mention, but also not far from it. I've picked up chess, German, and golf. I've found the key to getting better (so far) is simply to practice as often as possible, even a little per day. I also think being older I have the confidence that I can learn skills, and I know that I only need to apply myself. In my younger years I used to think you either had the ability or not, but now I know it really only takes practice.

I’m a learner by nature and though I graduated college over 2 decades ago, I have always continued to take classes in the community. (usually through continuing-ed programs at a local university or through local for-profit schools. I’ve heard—but have not explored this myself—that community colleges also tend to offer interesting courses at affordable prices — eg languages, business, vocational etc)

Some classes I’ve taken in recent years:

- Full (semester/quarter long) courses: story telling, creative writing, Alexander technique, languages (8 quarters and still ongoing), a history of Western civilization (a 3 quarter sequence)

- Once off classes: archery, calligraphy, flash fiction writing, editing, language classes on iTalki, history seminars, harmony singing

I also want to say that this is one of the main advantages of living in a big city [0] with major universities (in my case UChicago [1] and Northwestern) and specialty schools [2].

When I lived in a smaller city I couldn’t have taken a fraction of the course I’d listed above. Different strokes for different folks but for me, the creative energy of a big city calls to me.

(just for context, I have a full time job but no kids. I never felt that taking courses outside of work was ever too stressful — just needed a bit of time management)

[0] Chicago’s Park District offers a slew of inexpensive (subsidized) courses to the public.

https://apm.activecommunities.com/chicagoparkdistrict/Activi...

[1] The Graham School has a catalogue of humanities classes open to the public.

[2] Second City Chicago has programs open to the public.

I got my pilot's license and instrument rating along with endorsements for mountain flying and high performance airplanes. I've now started studying for my commercial pilot's license and may pick up a multi-engine license, too. Took about 2 years to accomplish all of these tasks.

Studying for the license felt like I was back in university. So I treated it as a goal, studying ground materials consistently every day while blocking out 2 lessons every week. It was effectively a job on top of the work I was already doing.

Most shocking was how much longer it took me to absorb the materials vs. studying equivalently complicated topics 25 years ago. Not to understand what they were, but to be able to have instant recall with precision.

You should also ask if the people who learned new skills were raising kids. I have a feeling that is the dominant confounding variable.

In the 10 yrs since turning 40 I’ve picked up audio engineering and full DAW programming and tooling for music. Been writing and mixing a lot. Have had a few tracks released on some label compilations, am working on a solo EP, and have a full-length album I’ve written part of and mixed all of with my band coming out in Feb. feels really, Really good.

Mine is minor... I started doing my own yard at 42. I've hated doing yard work forever - I've always outsourced it. Then the guy I used started being unreliable. Got a used lawnmower and other tools - it has been such a fulfilling adventure! Plus I'm saving $300/month.

Looking into developing some gardening skills next!

I'm 46. I just started taking Salsa dancing lessons.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHtpVk2BL6_/

Yes.. being post-40 doesn’t inherently lessen one’s ability to learn.

Rather, it’s the weight of management of things accumulated over the years that interrupt out natural curiosity and keep us from “learning”.

I believe you have to drop some things and not worry about forgetting them, in order to make time and space for new things.

I have, in the past year, become quite proficient at Docker Swarm, Flutter, Dart, and Go.

In the next year, I have my sights on Rust and a reintroduction to calculus.

Learning isn’t the issue. Finding the time to learn uninterrupted is the issue, IMHO.

I did give up Facebook completely, which has opened up a lot of time.

Cheers

I got a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and learned how to play the guitar - all after 40. Your 40s and 50s are great because most people have a surplus of 3 vital resources: time, money, and health. You have the time because your kids are older or have moved out of the house. You have money because you've reached peak earning power. You generally are young enough to still have your health so you're still able to do things. It's great. I know people who kept learning new things well into their 70s and 80s.

Video creation and editing [1]. I used to speak at tech conferences but after taking a long break, I wanted to get back into some form of instructional content. My kids are obsessed with YouTube, and I started a new startup, so I figured I'd give it a go. As for how I learned, well, doing it, and of course, watching YouTube videos.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmIIOHKgJnGQruIVD_Zx71g

I was a high school dropout and supermarket manager who went to community college at 45 for my AA in Gen Ed and then University for my BS in Computer Information Systems. Now I'm a full time web developer. It's really hard but I'm proud af

After >30 years as a professional programmer I have finally learnt to touch type. While watching TV with the family I have been practising on typing programs. I am still fighting old habits and muscle memory, but I am getting there.

Proofreading. I’m a native english speaker, but I’ve always stunk at grokking the underlying rules of English. But, as it turns out, I didn’t have to. I’ve read and spoken enough that the rules have just become justifications for what I know intuitively. It all just kinda makes sense now.

I could try and apply that to other parts of life (the whole “it became intuitive”), but I’m not too interested in going that deep right now.

I learned Korean, re-learned French. Learned to build cigars and since I'm a later bloomer, learned about parenting (had my first child at 40).

I went back to school to finish my BS degree and graduated at 50. I took a few courses in areas that I had never studied, and I did notice that it took me longer to absorb the material. My retention is good.

Soldering.

Not quite in my 40s, but after getting into keyboards the last year I finally learned basic soldering skills. I've heard it referred to as "geek knitting", and sitting in the garage for a few hours, carefully soldering together custom keyboards while listening to music is a great way to relax and focus. I just looked up some basic tutorials, got a few start kits from Amazon and just went with it.

This has lead to other interests too, like learning more about electronics and low-level coding with micro-controllers.

It also has the benefit that our kids now see me as someone who can fix anything. Most toys are simple enough to repair with basic tools and hearing the phrase "daddy can fix it" is worth it. Also there's a slight hope that seeing physical STEM skills (as opposed to daddy typing into a computer all day for work) makes an impression and it perks their interest in general engineering pursuits as they get older.

I went from being able to do simple scripting tasks (like being vague as to what it means for a function to ‘return’ something) to self-teaching what I might call ‘actual coding’ (multiple projects with many thousands of lines of code, used daily by professionals, and managing activities of other developers simultaneously). And I’m still (I think) learning at a surprising rate.

I learned how to do a podcast starting in March and I believe my public speaking and interview skills have transformed. (I mean, I think.)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_KV4AjVDLLaeHrPw8b1dYg

I haven’t started yet, but surfing is next. I think my list might be a lot longer but I tend to forget what I’ve learned recently as I start to take it for granted.

I'm 55. I'm in Startup School.

I've had a longstanding interest in having my own business and it just hasn't really panned out. I was a homemaker for a long time. During the time, I could not wrap my brain around the concept of making money. It was alien to everything I was doing.

BJJ in my late 40s. It was a total mindfuck and upended what I thought about learning.

I had to unlearn my well-established ways of learning and learn to learn by flow and feel. At times, you will have huge wins, and at times, it will crush you. Whatever you must do, it is: show up to the next class.

Another key point was not quitting. I’m now a blue belt. I think about 90-95% of those who start, quit. All of the people I started with have long since quit. Sometimes I run into them in town and they talk about how they plan on getting back to class soon.

But I know that will never happen. I just smile and wish them well and hope for their best.

I started violin at 36, swimming at 38, theatrical improv and singing at 39

I went to a pottery-class on a whim, and I've kept going for the past year.

Objectively my results are pretty terrible, but I'm getting better over time, I find it relaxing in fun, and nothing beats eating a meal you've cooked on a plate you've made, while drinking coffee from your own unique mug:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDYo7FhjKkQ/

(No wheels involved, though I'm looking forward to trying those in the future.)

I learned Dutch, passed the state exams and obtained my citizenship in my late 30’s / early 40’s. I honestly didn’t find it any harder than learning when I was younger, only that my life was very different (lots more demands, responsibilities and distractions). I haven’t picked up anything new since then really though, I guess you might count learning how to invest in stocks, due diligence, fundamental analysis but that’s not a huge subject like a language is.

I started reading a lot during corona. And I still am. I read all sorts of books, self help, philosophy, technical, sci-fi.

I’m so happy I finally started enjoying reading, and I will never stop now. It’s not only made me more calm, but also I tend to listen more to others, rather than needing to say my opinion on some subject. It’s like the more I read the more I know I have a lot to learn from others.

Even though I started late, it’s nothing I regret :-)

At 48 I bought a TIG welder. It was difficult at first, but now I can weld steel, aluminum, and stainless and it usually doesn't look like crap. It's very fun.

Then last year at 49 switched from right handed to left handed guitar since I'm left handed and was never very good right handed. I've been practicing every day for at least an hour for 11 months now and enjoy it a lot.

Woodworking. I’m 40+ and I enjoy old-fashion woodworking whenever I have spare time. I also have in mind to learn piano in the near future.

My wife is learning to hand-stand and jump rope. She has learnt "castor-boarding" (somewhat similar to skateboarding) - I should mention that we didn't get to learn to skate as kids. I learnt to ride a fixed gear cycle - as a commuter in heavy traffic; now learning to track stand.

Learnt to code and went back to school to do a dual MS in math and statistics in my 40's. I think I was interested in each of those things for their own sakes, so working on them was a hobby which meant I didn't mind putting in a lot of time learning them

55 here.

Learned a human language few years ago by moving to another country. Learned "competitive" pistol shooting over the last 2 years by signing up for training. Learned to ride a motorcycle this year by lots of driving with friends. Will learn to hunt next year by signing up for training and going hunting with friends. Contemplating learning another language next year by theoretical study and spending time with people who speak the language natively.

Not really have a "let's learn something every year" list or plan, it just happens that I stumble upon something that's unknown to me, have the resources to learn it and do it (I find it hard to not finish tasks I started...).

I try to learn something new every year. Short list that I can share: Mandarin, Sanskrit, improv, Carnatic music, flute, astrology, astronomy/star gazing, drawing, clay art, cosmetics and perfumery formulations.

I'm in my 30s (father of 2 young kids) and just started learning to hunt, although at this point it's been just hiking in the mountains with my rifle as I haven't harvested any animals. It's taken me to all kinds of interesting places I would have never seen, and I've really enjoyed it. Now as with anything there are different types of hunting that you can do. I use a pack and hike for miles at a time, I know other more successful hunters who use an ATV or dirt bike to cover a lot more ground than I do, but I'm happy putting in the work.

Sewing. First to make masks for the family. I then made sail and varnish covers for my boat. I broke my wife's domestic machine in the process (still recovering from that beating), but have graduated to sturdier machines and projects. I make a lined pouch out of up-cycled materials that seems to go over well with friends. I made a backpack that is my take on a Goruck GR1, but with a more slender profile and lighter weight while keeping the rugged exterior. I flirt with the idea of starting a cut-and-sew operation for custom backpacks at some point.

Oh, yeah! I've made it a point to learn new stuff once in a while.

For my 40th birthday, I ran my first marathon. In my mid 40s I picked up woodworking. At 50, I learned to juggle. In the early 50s I started learning to play bluegrass banjo.

I'm looking forward to a lot more neat stuff. My aunt is in her mid-80s, she's a big participant in Olli classes. There's no end to learning.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osher_Lifelong_Learning_Instit...

I'm 41 and I just bought a drum set. Although it's not totally new to me. I played a bit of piano and percussion when I was younger.

I think it's easier to learn something new now. I know how to learn better.

Since turning 40, I have started to play the guitar and mandolin, though I had some very basics a long time ago. I learned Swedish, though I am not proficient; I am passable. I became a cognitive scientist after 40, after being a lawyer for most of my career (new skills: reading/writing scientific papers, designing experiments, statistical analysis that I hadn't done in 20 years, etc). I learned how to bake (bread, mostly), though I knew pretty well how to cook in general since I was young, so this maybe wasn't too difficult.

In my 40's I built a cyclekart[1][2], which involved learning how to weld (not very well, but still), and how to do some fiberglass work.

[1] https://www.cyclekarts.com/ (cyclekarts in general) [2] https://www.cyclekartclub.com/registry/2012-CycleKart-Custom... (my cyclekart in particular).

I'm 48 and started and while I could more or less play keyboards, 5 years ago I started playing piano more seriously including sheet music reading. Slowly, but steady, I am improving.

Learning to play guitar. I started with self learning. There are excellent tutorials on YouTube and other websites. Got quite frustrated due to painfully (pun intended) slow progress. Then took lessons for six months. Music lessons are expensive! So once I got the basics down, I decided to go back to auto-didactism. Without a doubt, learning to play guitar is one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. I think clearing Google interview is way easier.

Strength training - deadlifts, press, bench, squat etc. Started as I turned 40 because although I didn't mind being 40, I didn't want to be 40 and fat and piss weak.

//edit// Should also add I've done three novice strongman comps. I came last in them, but a competitive last and it was something for my daughter to watch me do. Also got a few PBs like doing a farmers walk with my bodyweight (100kg) in each hand.

I am in my 40s and writing a browser application that is highly distributed so I wrote a test automation component that executes in the browsers of multiple computers from a single command and control one a single computer outside the browser. It provides full keyboard and mouse control, except mouse movement events, to any point in the DOM just like a user and can therefore remotely test messaging an accessibility.

A few things I have done or are in progress: Changing my preferred technology stack from debian(linux)/java/scala to openbsd/rust, and adding sqlite to my postgresql use. I'm becoming (I think) a better husband & person generally than I used to be (life is about learning, in part).

And a big, very hard one: learning to live (and be a better person) happily and with (a new kind of) balance with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -- big enforced lifestyle changes there. (Very hopefully I will learn all the lessons I should--if not it would be a major lost opportunity.) My doctor (world-class specialist) says they see a lot of suicides in the field (though to be clear, that is not a plan, threat, nor persistent thought of mine). Life is challenging and good, and I am grateful for very many things.

Edits: My learning style seems generally like sheer persistence, with specifics depending on the subject, often finding the basic/intro materials and working them into my daily/weekly routine somewhere, maybe a few relaxing intro videos or articles on a subject while resting.

Also Esperanto, and improving my limited Russian, with some Soviet movies with English subtitles, and reading the side-by-side text of the Book of Mormon in Russ. & English (it has the Russ. accents marked, to reduce the need to look up words--there is no rule for emphasis like there is in Spanish or Esperanto); the AnkiDroid app helps a lot. I learned to ride a unicycle after 40, not to a high level, but it was still a thrill--every time I could just get on and go down the street was a rush. A talented nephew ignored my "experienced" advice and learned unicycling much faster and better than I, on a 26-inch wheel even. (As you'd guess, there are some people on youtube with amazing skills, like "mountain unicycling" or freewheeling (no pedals) fast downhill.)

For education: If someone is seeking economical, high-quality, online university education (from start to Master's), BYU Pathway Worldwide and/or Western Governors University are impressive options, even if one needs to, for example, learn English and/or study skills in an inexpensive intro program. I and others have commented more about them in prior discussions, w/ more info in wikipedia.

And there are so many more things to learn in the future. I'd love to have some good musical improvisation & sightreading skills; wow.

Timber framing around 45.

(Heartwood School in Massachusetts is a great place; took each of my two sons there separately.)

(Re: OP comments re: kids being a confounding factor, we have 8.)

Playing Go. It takes a lifetime to learn regardless of when you start--so you're not that bad off (tho they say it helps to start preschool).

I’m learning to unicycle. I just go to the park and practice. It’s definitely a challenge to learn, but not due to age. Will be 43 in a month.

Indoor skydiving in a wind tunnel. In itself it must be the least useful skill I've ever acquired, but the improvement in body awareness may benefit other activities. There's also the theory that learning anything new reduces the risk of dementia. It's a great feeling and I'd be doing it every week were it not for tunnel time being hugely expensive.

44 year old here

Started learning piano/music/singing a year or so back, impressed with the results although theory holding me back.

Got into road biking a couple of years back and did a 100 miler last year.

Continued technical development

Explored meditation and Buddhism

Improved parenting of my 2 young children and did lots of exciting stuff with them: cooking, baking, drawing, craft etc

Got divorced last year, so I've had a bit of time on my hands...

Rock climbing, soccer, disc golf, crochet, PHP, SQL, JavaScript, Angular, management, Buddhism.

Meanwhile I've given up running volleyball, C, C++.

I am almost 40. Recently learned wave boarding, a new language (indian) and a few cooking things during pandemic.

Just when pandemic started I realized I am happiest when I am learning something. There is something to look forward to every day.

Most of my new skills come because of my son. We do it together. He is faster at learning physical stuff, i am good at finding small improvements

It's been fun

Picked up on woodworking when I was 40, built a ton of little furniture and things for the house. Last year finished my most ambitious project and built a home office shed that I’ve been using since. I’m 43 now and spent a couple hours browsing Pinterest this morning getting some inspiration on what to build next. Life long learning!

Inline roller at 41 in club during 2 years. I still use them regularly (I am 51). Indoor climbing at 45. I was slightly too old and too heavy. Not a real success, but an interesting experience. Maybe I will try again. Main motivation was to accompany my children. Currently confined in the apartment, I train jumping rope.

Yes. I started playing Chess in the past year. I realy love it and getting more and more addicted every day. I decided to purchase a subscription for Chess.com where they have lots of video lesson, puzzles and also allow you to analyze the games you play.

I believe that you can (and should) start learning new skills at any age

Giving woodworking a try. I need to break out of the acquiring tools and shop things phase and get into the building things phase.

Learning via YT is immensely helpful. I also live near a woodworking legend that offers classes and took a class. It was humbling and gave a good perspective on the time required to be good.

emacs. It is taking forever, but worth it.

I’m 45 and just picked up horse archery. It’s been an amazing way to challenge my self physically and mentally.

Plumbing. I installed a shower and was taught some basic copper soldering by my father in law. Next bathroom did some very aggressive 6 shower head configuration that required considerable precision. When I can actually purchase a zen3 CPU, I'll be going copper piping on the rig.

Just turned 40, and this year I have picked up Japanese sword martial art called Shinkendo, through a local dojo a few miles away. I have no previous martial arts experience.

I have also started learning Unity and I am making my first 2D game. No previous game development experience.

Having a lot of fun learning both.

Since my late 40s: Learned how to sing opera and pop. Learned sax, flute, trumpet, violin. Learned how to write songs. Started a farm.

Musical instruments were mostly self-taught. Singing required a teacher. Main source of knowledge is web research and YouTube videos.

I'm 40 and for the last year have been seriously studying Chinese. I had a few classes before when living in China 3 years ago, but with the Pandemic and the local community college offering the classes online, I felt like it was a good time.

Not sure it qualifies as a "new skill," but I've been living and working in Thailand for the last almost two years, when everything previously was in the U.S.

And as a product manager I'm always learning new things.

Learned to play the ukulele, far from great but know probably 40+ different chords. Before that I'd played piano a bit, but never anything with strings. We used to have a group get together to play and sing pre-COVID.

i got my masters in CS when i was 41 without prior dev experience if that counts

Close. Late 30’s. Learning my first musical instrument: the banjo. I did some basic research, found a banjo, and searched YouTube for tutorials. Not a banjo player yet, but I can roll through a few songs now.

The question implies that 40 year olds can't learn new skills. So that is propagating ageism.

And learning a new language is much harder than learning an ordinary skill. So that's a different question.

This year, as a hobby, I got into 3D printing and CAD. I'm 40 yo

Building a two seater, 180hp kit airplane in my garage. Learned all the skills I need post-40. Honestly I enjoy drilling and riveting metal more than computers anymore.

I started coding professionally after 40.

Previously a network engineer.

I loved going back into the classroom (boot camp) to learn, and found I was more patient, and a better student than the past.

Anyone acquiring advanced piano or guitar skills/chops?

I learned how to solder, program Arduino, print on a 3D printer and use fusion 360... really why so many people feel like 40 is old?

40's picked up Tango Dancing, Sailing, and starting programming python since I got interested in visual machine learning.

Software all my pro life, picked up scuba this year, will finish rescue diving and full sidemount cave next year.

Due to the pandemics, I bought a PS4 and started gaming at 47, I really like Far Cry! Looking forward to a PS5!

Learned to ride an electric unicycle recently and both the learning process and riding it are both pretty fun

I’m 44 picked up juggling couple of years back. Expert in no way, but others find it cool!

I learned how to ski, how to scuba dive, got CPR certified, learned ocean fishing.

Rock climbing, soccer, disc golf, PHP, SQL, JavaScript, Angular, crochet, sewing

started kick-boxing at 39. have been practicing for 3 years now. fantastic experience.

Driving.

learnt boxing (fighting) with 45