OldDogZeroTricks is a place for the thoughts we don’t usually say out loud – midlife doubts, financial pressure, starting over when you’re tired, and the reality of getting older in a world that rarely looks back. You won’t find guru advice here. Just an ordinary guy trying to make sense of life, money, faith, and relationships in the later chapters.
If you ever catch yourself thinking things like:
“Am I doing this right?”
“Is it too late to start over?”
“Is everyone else just faking it, too?”
then you’ll probably feel at home here.
Who’s behind this blog?
I’m Grant, OldDogZeroTricks. 57 – a British expat in Japan teaching English, farming, and still figuring things out, but keeping a few modest dreams alive.
This blog grew out of the messy side of midlife – the unexpected, the doubts, the “what now?” moments. If you’re curious how that looked for me, you can read the full story here. You can find Updates (Blog & Life) 2026 here.
Splitting up. Financial uncertainty. Aging parents. Physical changes. Faith. Rebuilding. I write about the things we often think but don’t say.
Current Chapter
After my partner returned to America following twenty years together, I’ve been rebuilding around:
- Continuing to teach English in Japan
- Farming outside
- Cycling to work in any weather
- Writing early, before the world wakes up
This blog is part of that rebuilding.
If you’d like to explore some of these themes, try one of these looks at midlife, pressure, and figuring things out:
- It’s Important To Get Out Of Your Own Head – when your thoughts won’t stop repeating.
- The Modest Dreams We Can’t Afford – the tension between money and meaning.
- When You Can’t Be Everything They Need – the limits of who we are in relationships.
Or browse the Blog – posts are easier to scan there.
How to Start Your Midlife Reading
Not sure where you are right now? This might help:
→ Take the Life Transition Self-Assessment – a short quiz that points you toward the posts most relevant to where you might be right now.
Most posts end with questions, and I’d like to get your thoughts.
Feel free to introduce yourself and your journey in the comments. If you’d then like to write more, consider writing your own post here.
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