• E-Mail
• Print
• Larger
• Smaller

Published: Saturday, Feb. 02, 2013 / Updated: Friday, Feb. 01, 2013 05:26 PM

Five steps to age backward

You’ve probably heard expressions like “60 is the new 40.” The truth is anyone can be 68 going on 50. All you need is a motivational mindset.

Beyond good diet and exercise, which are critical for anyone at any age, getting motivated is the key to aging well. Here are five ways to launch your age rollback at any age:

1. Change your WOE to WOW ratio. There’s nothing more de-motivating than living in a world of WOE (an acronym for What On Earth). The world of WOE is dark and consists largely of finding fault and blame. WOE sucks the spirit out of you. Its opposite, WOW (for Wonderfully Obsessed with Winning) infuses every moment with excitement about the world. WOW is that frame of mind that motivates you to embrace whatever you’re doing. You can’t get rid of WOE, but you can minimize its presence.Keep a notebook about how much time you spend in a WOE state vs. a WOW state. Set a goal to focus on WOW for 15 minutes as you start your day. Soon, it will become a habit.

2. Get curious. Studies show the more you flex your mind as you age, the healthier your mind will be. In addition to engaging in brain-cell building activities like puzzles, ask questions about how things work and why things are. Nothing motivates like a good question. Find a headline story each day that you want to learn more about. Find a topic each week you want to research through books or online resources. The more new things you learn, the more you’ll be motivated to discover new areas of interest.

3. Invest in the moment. It’s easy to look back with regrets or nostalgia, and we forget to see the joy of what’s happening in the present. Ditto for spending time gazing into the future with apprehension or fear. Try an experiment: every day, spend five minutes focusing on the here and now, and allow yourself to feel totally invested in whatever you’re doing, whether it’s work or play. When you get comfortable with that notion, expand the time you spend in the here and now each day.

4. Let go and take a higher perspective. When you were younger, you were probably in the mode of striving for more - more money, more status, more anything. As you age, that pressure starts to diminish. But you still likely cling to the notion that you’re in some kind of a race you must win. Let it go! When you stop competing against others, you’ll be motivated to appreciate things that really matter and you probably already have.

5. Do things that put you in a good mood. Incorporate at least one thing a day into your routine that puts you in a good mood whether it’s taking a walk, completing a puzzle, or pulling out a board game or a deck of cards with friends. When you’re feeling good, you’ll likely be more motivated to try new things.

Rob White is an author, motivational coach and story-teller. Visit him online at robwhitemedia.com.