Some things we never outgrow, regardless of age. One of them is the need to set goals and keep pushing ahead.
It doesn’t really matter if you are 60, 70, or 80. It doesn’t matter if you are retired or still working. Making New Year’s resolutions is a worthwhile practice, even if experience teaches us that old (bad) habits are hard to shake.
Research confirms that setting New Year’s resolutions is especially beneficial for senior adults. In this column, we explain why. We will also share our list of 7 New Year’s resolutions for senior adults.
Numerous studies have concluded that setting goals is good for the physical, mental, and spiritual health of senior adults. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that seniors with a strong sense of purpose tend to retain strong hand grips and walking speeds, signs of healthy aging. Studies conducted by Rush University found that seniors with discipline, organization and purpose are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease. We all need reasons to get up and face each new day. Resolutions, or goals, give us purpose and structure.
What are some good goals for us Baby Boomers and other senior adults to set for the new year? How might our goals differ from those of our children’s generation?
Here are seven goals for the New Year tailored for senior adults:
#1 – Pursue a purpose larger than yourself
There’s something inside us that pushes us to look beyond ourselves and be part of a larger cause. Why else do we plant oak trees, whose shade we will never enjoy? Why else do soldiers go to war to protect generations yet to come? This innate trait doesn’t diminish with age.
Most of us want to be remembered for something more significant than our golf score or the size of our bank account. We want to use our limited time and opportunities well and leave the world a better place. We want to leave a positive legacy.
How you define that “larger purpose” and how you pursue it is an individual matter, but as this new year begins, give it some serious thought. This pursuit can give you the focus and discipline you need to keep active.
One thing we know for sure as we age is that time is more limited than before. While we still have the strength and opportunity, let’s use the new year to make a difference.
Here are a few suggestions for how to pursue this greater purpose:
- Don’t “retire” from involvement at your local church, synagogue, or other place of worship. It’s OK to retire from a job, but there’s no precedent in any religion’s scriptures for retiring from our spiritual obligations. As seniors who have lived through decades of ups and downs in life, we have wisdom and valuable lessons to share with younger members. Whether we teach, lead a small-group, help in the nursery, engage in a community ministry, visit the sick, or perform other acts of leadership, hospitality, or service, we have much to contribute.
- Volunteer with a nonprofit agency. Charities, especially at the local level, demonstrate the real heart and compassion of America. We are a nation of amazing volunteers and donors. We have a well-deserved reputation for helping our neighbors who are in need. Nonprofits need your assistance. That may mean working in a soup kitchen, volunteering at a hospital, sorting donations at a thrift shop, getting involved in an inner-city ministry, or helping children with reading. It may mean working with single moms, newly arrived immigrants, or the homeless. It could mean getting involved in nonprofit administration or fundraising. Find a cause you believe in and get involved.
- Consider international mission or service opportunities. More Americans are retiring abroad, and even more of us are traveling internationally. Rather than seeking out a warm beach or plush mountain retreat for your overseas adventure, consider instead the possibilities of relocating, at least for a period of time, to another country where your knowledge or skills are needed. If you have medical, teaching, construction, or technical skills, you can volunteer your time and expertise in a developing nation. Not ready to make a long-term move? You can still play a role by supporting an international mission or relief effort from home and making occasional short-term visits. Kathy and I know a doctor who has made more than 20 trips to an African nation to support a mission there. His visits are a great encouragement to the full-time workers there as well as to the people they serve.
- 2020 is an election year, so if your passion is partisan politics, this is a great time to get involved. Political candidates and parties need volunteers for door knocking, phone calling, transporting people to the polls, and other tasks. You could also work at a polling station on election day.
#2 – Be a mentor and an encourager
When we were younger, most of us benefited from the encouragement, words of wisdom and support of one or more older people. Now it’s our turn to be the mentors. We each have our own unique spheres of influence. Someone out there needs you to be their role model or guide. It might be a grandchild, a neighbor, or someone you see each week at church. As part of your New Year’s resolutions, think about who these younger people are and how you can best be there for them. If they live at a distance, then your relationship may grow via texting, email or social media. Find ways to praise them when they do well, show you believe in them, and take interest in what’s important to them. Be available and ready when and if they seek your advice. You can make a real difference in one or more younger people’s lives this coming year.
One interesting footnote about these first two resolutions is that anyone can do them. Even if you are confined to a wheelchair or bed, you can show you care by making phone calls, sending donations, or emailing and texting people. A hand-written note or card is still a powerful form of communication. Never underestimate the impact an encouraging note can have on someone you are trying to mentor or encourage.
# 3 – Be an optimist
Remember Eeyore, the character from Winnie the Pooh? He was always the pessimist, the one who saw the cup as half empty, not half full. Let’s face it, some of us seniors have a tendency to fall into the habit of acting like Eeyore. We can lapse into perpetual negative talking and complain about how bad the world is today. Eeyore made a cute character in a children’s book, but in the real world nobody likes being around an Eeyore.
In the New Year, resolve to be an optimist. See the good in the world and in other people. Guard your words, including your comments on Facebook and other social media sites. Make sure you don’t lapse into a real-life, old and cranky version of Eeyore.
Here’s a favorite video clip from poor Eeyore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQSWJbqkVws
#4 – Chase your dreams
If you have a dream that you have long wanted to pursue, now is the time. Don’t let age stand in your way. Throughout history, senior adults have sparked many great accomplishments in business, the arts, religion, and government. Today, more and more seniors are becoming entrepreneurs in the business world. (See our related blog post, “Best Achievements Often Happen Late in Life.”)
Want to start a business, travel to a special place, grow your own foods, or learn a new skill? Let the New Year be your impetus for taking those essential first steps toward pursuing a long-term dream.
#5 – Get out of the house
After we retire, it is easy to fall into the trap of enjoying our home life a bit too much. You know the pattern: sleeping later, puttering around the house all day in night clothes or a robe, watching way too much TV, and choosing to avoid social activities. Without an 8-to-5 job to force us to get up and get busy, it is easy to slip into destructive habits. This is especially a threat to the majority of us who consider ourselves introverts. It is also easy for widows and widowers, or others who live alone, to become isolated. It’s not good for our physical and emotional health to become too sedentary and withdrawn. If your health allows you to get up and out, then do so. To give you added motivation, sign up for activities, join classes and groups, or walk or cycle regularly with a friend or neighbor.
#6 – Learn something new
Learning new skills is stimulating and healthy. It keeps the brain active. Try stretching yourself in the months ahead by learning a new technology, perhaps one that will help you relate better with your children and grandchildren. Buy and learn to use an interactive home assistant with a screen, such as an Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub, or Facebook Portal. You can then use it to make video calls to stay in touch with family. Another popular technology category that provides benefits to senior adults is smart doorbells, with popular brands including Ring and SimpliSafe.
If technology isn’t your thing, try reading some nonfiction books on a topic of interest to you, enroll in an online college course, explore historical sites or battle fields, or learn a foreign language. Hey, you could even start a blog.
Whatever appeals most to you, the point is to stretch your brain and never stop learning.
#7 – Get your important documents in order NOW
The majority of Americans do not have a will, the most basic of estate-planning tools. Even among people ages 65 and over, surveys confirm that about a third do not have a will. We tend to avoid dealing with tasks that are unpleasant or tedious. If you have a will, congratulations. How long has it been since you reviewed it? Pull out your will and read it. Does it still reflect your current family situation and end-of-life wishes? Your will may need updating, especially if you’ve moved to another state or your family has experienced the birth (or adoption) of children, a recent marriage, a divorce, or death.
Do you have a living will or healthcare directives? Have you reviewed your beneficiaries recently for bank accounts, insurance policies, and retirement plans? Do you have power-of-attorney authorization forms? Have you pre-planned your funeral?
That’s a lot to tackle all at once, so start by writing or updating your will, if you haven’t taken that step yet. Resolve that in the New Year you are going to take action and finally get your imporant documents in order.
