How many years do you have left?
I stumbled across this guy giving seniors advice about how to make the most of their Social Security income. Now that I think of it, it probably came up on YouTube since I just turned 62, and at 62 you can start getting Social Security.
(OMG! I’m not ‘old’. But maybe I’ll ride my dirt bike down there and pick up my check.)
Well, this guy was asking the viewer to guess how long they will live. I thought how sad it would be if I, or anyone else, gave an answer like 70 or 75. Maybe some don’t think about it, and others may think they will live about as long as their parents…I don’t know.
But this is an important topic for everyone, even if you are 20. Having a great life, and what could be more important to a person than that, requires some planning. It can’t happen by accident. What we really want is a great healthspan. For the last chapter, we want to feel good and be able to do stuff, not simply be conscious in a chair or bed. Right? (If I die suddenly, thank goodness!)
So we have to plan. For me, as most of you know, I have this giant jar of marbles on my vanity. I have one marble for each week I will live to be 100. Each weekend, I take a marble out. I think my brain and body get it. They know the road ahead and are planning accordingly.
62 years down, 38 left to go. 62% – the math is easy.
I have to do my part. I have to eat well, move well, sleep well, and use medical technology to the fullest to avoid or fix early what might get me before 100.
They say that because of AI breakthroughs, for every year you live, you will live even longer because of these discoveries. (Let’s hope regulation does not get in the way.)
So, if I asked you, how long do you think you will live? What would you say?
And what are you doing to ensure that happens with a closely matching healthspan?
Great post, thanks. I heard a great saying that the key is to add life to your years not just years to your life. People in general are living a long time, but often with poor health in the last quarter or even third of their life, and IMO this is the part we should be trying to improve.
I am also 62. I try to live the healthiest life i can. I eat well, exercise, green time (outside) strenght train, cardio, most nights 7 hours of sleep. Working on more social and family time. planning for retirement and my daughters wedding, the obstacle was divorced 20yrs ago with two young kids that have now graduated college and doing amazing. I have to build my retirement back up. Working smarter to do that. Life is a gift dont waste it on negativity. If you put your mind to something it will get done. Have a sparkling day
Awww. Thanks Larry. I am grateful for you too! Keep moving! Find peace!
Keep going, Larry. Every day is a gift. Let’s make the most of each one.
This is interesting. I have no guess on how long I will be here. God and I may not have the same plan for me, but while I am here, I try to live my life with balance between doing all the right things to live a long life but also do things that may contradict that statement as I also want to have a life that I enjoy and share with others.
I hope to see the day you turn 100 my friend, that means I’ve made it to 98!
…ride my dirt bike down to get my social security… sounds like something I might do. How good a car your daddy gave you and how good a brain mama passed on decides how long you live, less accidents or crime. I won’t plan that heavily but would recommend better or more conscious planning to any young one I have the pleasure of talking the subject with.
I have customers that are still driving in their early 90’s and are pretty sharp. They all say their secret to longevity is to keep moving.
My paternal grandmother is 103 and lives alone in Mississippi. My paternal grandfather died at 66 from a heart aneurysm. My doctor doesn’t think that will be the fate of my heart. My mom got a rare cancer and died at 74. She was a world traveler and adventurer, exceptionally fit, and lived a lifestyle similar to those with longevity in blue zones. My dad is still alive at 83. How long will I live? If I withstand threats of cancer, likely pretty old. When I was younger I’d say 100.
Never too late to make a change, reset your priorities, and start investing in your healthspan, (that’s where I am at). Thanks for the daily nudge—and for keeping our brains thinking about how we want to live, not just how long.
I always knew you had all your marbles Larry! You missed one thing in your prescription for longevity, and that is social connections. Very important. BTW, I am 86 and Stuart is 91- soon to be 92 in Nov. and we are doing well!
US life expectancy has been in decline for about a decade. Why? Diseases of modernity and prosperity. Mainly obesity (too much food), suicide (lack of meaning), infant mortality (among the poor), road injuries (big cars, distracted drivers), and opioids (numb the pain). And the US spends far more on healthcare than any other nation. AI is not looking like a very good tool for making us live longer. Maybe getting back to being human, with a little more struggle, pain, and friendships, and a little less social media, junk food, painkillers, and SUVs, is good for us.
I like the work of Arthur Brooks a lot, who is a researcher on the study of happiness. He says that people are frequently their most happy when they’re able to be completely absorbed and focused on a singular thing. Whether it’s being able to focus on your family, your work, your favorite hobbies, an exciting new book or show… There’s a lot of power in our fixations, and they give us meaning. When I was stuck in life, at one point, I remember trying to do everything ‘right’… but I wasn’t really feeling less ‘unstuck’. Then I heard this advice and realized I wasn’t focused on the important things. I was focused on the small stuff that I hoped would help me ‘fake it til I make it’. It helped! But it wasn’t until I decided to focus on living in the moment that I began to find more meaning again. I think it makes me feel pretty good about how I’ve spent my time since then. It’s not perfect, but progress.
150 years old. Eat well, have meaning in life, annual physicals and bloodwork, drive safe & be a defensive driver, don’t drink, smoke or do drugs, stay socially connected with friends & family, quality sleep, stay hydrated, exercise, don’t sit too long, keep learning.