131: 3 Actions That Keep Time on Your Side

We often think about our life in spans of time.

New days, birthdays, next month, a new year, or a new decade. And if you approach or cross the 100 year mark - a new century!

Spans of time, while a useful measurement, shouldn't represent the end of an era but rather the opportunity for a fresh start.

Approaching a milestone birthday like 40, 50, or 65 simply means you're in uncharted territory ready to be explored with renewed passion and purpose.

Give up the notion that a day, a specific date, or a decade is anything other than a mile-marker that indicates your forward momentum

I often hear conversations personally, or read in print and social media, that give me the impression that aging is a burden that gets heavier with each year.

The weight of aging, as I see it, has more to do with one's mindset about it than it does the maladies that might or might not accompany it.

Consider the following actions to keep time on your side.

Be open to new experiences

Curiosity is a common theme in my writing here.

When I say "be open," hear me also say, "be curious."

Essentially, I'm talking about a willingness to try new things, consider alternatives, and seek new perspectives. Personal growth feeds on curiosity.

Openness and curiosity are also cousins of mindfulness. The present moment is full of wonder — welcome what's here and now.

I sit on my patio most mornings as I sip my first cup of coffee. Those few minutes are mindfully invested listening to my surroundings.

I don't scroll on my phone or allow myself any distraction that turns the volume down on the present sounds of birds chirping, a bee buzzing while pollenating the backyard flowers, or the fly-by hum of the seasonal hummingbirds landing on our feeder.

According to neuroscience research, an openness to new experiences (awakened by mindfulness, I would add) is associated with better adjustment, mental flexibility, creativity, adaptability, empathy, and receptivity to feedback.1

Add to your life experiences, face aging challenges with mindfulness, and use your accumulated wisdom to remain ever-curious.

Redefine productivity in your life

Productivity at ages 50, 60, or 70 is likely much different for you than it was at age 30. Your career was probably the linchpin for how you achieved productivity throughout those age-related decades.

Second-half of life productivity (post 50) perhaps has a slower pace with a less demanding task list, depending on your career or lifestyle.

That's not to say you're slowing down or not doing as much but your life's trajectory might be bit more level than upwardly focused.

Such a change is common as age-related transitions, losses, and adaptations occur. Circumstances cause conflict, moments of stagnation prompt boredom, and despair produces a sense of overwhelm. Those conditions can extract productive energy from you. It's essential that your productivity have meaning as you continue aging year to year.

Maintain your integrity by keeping your word and doing what you say you'll do.

Do something that adds meaning to your life and others' lives.

Learn from what you once regret missing out on and regroup.

“Aging is a time to get to know yourself in new ways — to open yourself to gifts unavailable to youth — by forging a deeper connection to your inner life.” 2

And speaking of connection...

Stay connected

Forming long-term relationships with family, friends, and those in a like-minded community of beliefs or interests has been proven to lower aging markers.3

Connections take work as relationships might be scattered across town, the state, the country, or the globe. Fortunately, technology eliminates the relational barriers caused by distance. Even so, face-to-face connection remains vital.

Monitor your relational gauges. When they tip toward "empty" refuel with a coffee, a lunch, or virtual meet-up.

Join a community around common interests: faith, volunteer service, fitness/exercise, or books and knowledge resources.

Interact without allowing technology to interrupt. When you're face to face, put your phone down and if you're in an online conversation, silence your peripheral tech so you'll 100% present.

Stay aware of your life's time spans and take action to maintain personal momentum.

• Be open to new experiences.
• Redefine productivity in your life.
• Stay connected.

Press on...

Eddie

Sources:

1-https://medium.com/crows-feet/staring-down-70-and-finding-purpose-19330a243091

2-https://medium.com/crows-feet/staring-down-70-and-finding-purpose-19330a243091

3-https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001541