If These 4 Activities Still Excite You In Your 70s, You've Aged Better Than Most
You're never too old to live your best life.
Juani Sanchez | Unsplash As we age into our golden years, our identities are formed by the choices we make, and our brains are flexible organs that can form new habits and new ways of thinking if we take the steps gradually over time to create them. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible.
You are what you repeatedly do. So by taking actions, even tiny ones that develop your identity as a responsible doer of things, you will be lifted. You will train yourself to look outward and upward to new possibilities as you get older.
If these four activities still excite you in your 70s, you've aged better than most:
1. Thinking about your future
Sit down and let your breathing slow and your mind still. Have the intention of arriving at mind visions that are enlivening and truly speak to you.
Don’t feel the need to force anything. See what a purposeful meditation session can provide for you. You might be surprised at what shows up when you give your thinking a rest for a moment.
Maybe you see yourself, like I do, living on a ranch or farm somewhere rural. Or you envision surfing waves somewhere beautiful. Or you’re teaching children. Allow these visions to bring a sense of purpose, excitement, and optimism to your subsequent actions. It’s less about the material aspect here and more about infusing your being with the nutritious energy of possibility.
2. Reading a new book
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They say that CEOs read an average of 60 books per year. That very concept can be overwhelming. How many ideas are contained within all those books?
Might a CEO benefit from just one idea if it were executed well? You bet they would. So worry less about the sheer volume and variety of information in hundreds of books, and focus on reading for a single idea or insight.
It need only take a couple of pages in a book, or you could read articles. When you’re looking for one idea that sparks interest, you will notice it. Your reading process will become much more concentrated and intentional. You’re looking for that one spark. Once you find it, write it down. You could add it to a document of single, great ideas you can refer to as needed.
Research indicates that reading offers many benefits for cognitive health as we age, including strengthening memory and slowing cognitive decline. Engaging in regular reading can also lower stress levels and improve sleep quality.
3. Journaling
Maintaining a sense of optimism that generates forward momentum is a daily practice. It’s not easy to stay on the right side of the fence as the chaos of life passes through. We can be thrown off by challenges and unforeseen events.
Focusing on things that strengthen and enliven us requires a continual and conscious effort. This is very important. Ultimately, success is won and lost according to where we put most of our attention.
If it’s spent in the misery of the news and our problems, we inadvertently exaggerate these issues and the emotional experience associated with these darker thoughts. We must, as a practice, redirect this attention to what’s working in our lives.
We need to look toward what is possible and exciting. This is the real soul food, and it’s MSG-free. Just the tiny habit of sitting down and writing can be energizing. Designing a way forward that excites you about what you’re creating, what you’d love to create, and what’s possible can get you moving again.
Research suggests that writing regularly can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance memory, and promote emotional healing. It can also boost mood, encourage gratitude, and even contribute to physical well-being by potentially improving immune system functioning and speeding up wound healing.
4. Having fun
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They’ve done studies on how closely connected our body language is to our energy levels and perceived sense of self. Our posture, for example, can have a profound effect on how we feel. The emotional vibe from doing power poses like holding your arms up or beating your chest may not be long-lasting, but they will lift you.
If you can take yourself from a 5 to a 7 in terms of your mood in five minutes, I say it’s worth it. This could be the lever that gets the truck out of the mud and on its way again.
Not feeling power poses? Do some push-ups. Or throw on some high-energy music and get your hips moving. Perform filthy and hilarious moves that would make Elvis blush.
A lot of our fears and concerns are locked in our hips. Move, shake, and have fun. I do this before important calls because it makes me more open and relaxed.
Finally, if you lack motivation, remember: you become what you repeatedly do. So see these habits, and others like them, as tools to determine the kind of person you become over the longer term. Optimistic people take responsibility for their lives, and they make things happen through action. Little habits like these might seem inconsequential, but especially when enacted over many days in a row… They will change your life.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.
