As legal counsel for many successful Baby Boomers in the Okanagan, our team has noticed a pattern of 6 habits of highly successful baby boomers. We are happy to share these with you to help all Baby Boomers live their best life possible.
1. Remain Physically and Mentally Fit.
The happiest adults are those who are physically fit and mentally engaged. There is no better place than the Okanagan to get outside and lead an active life. Simply going for a walk daily is proven to increase your overall health and reduce stress. Challenging your brain, whether at work, through community engagement, or by playing a daily crossword puzzle will help keep your brain strong.
2. Develop happiness habits – “live in the now”
Most Boomers have spent their lives working hard, preparing, planning and focusing on their next step. It is easy to become so absorbed on planning and preparing for the future that you forget to enjoy today. Now is the time to stop and enjoy the present moment and “live in the now” instead of waiting to reflect upon your happiness in your old age. Make a conscious inventory of the things that bring you happiness and make a plan to continue to do those things. Think about other things that would bring happiness and start developing habits to engage in those activities. Make being happy an intentional part of your lifestyle.
3. Take your dreams off the back burner
Most Boomers have found it necessary to put a dream or two on the back burner because other things were more important at the time. Now is the the prime time to move those dreams to the front burner and start planning and working to make them your reality.
4. Discover and cultivate your strengths.
Now is the time to stop focusing on trying to fix your weaknesses and instead, cultivate and play to your strengths. The science of Positive Psychology suggests that we should all spend time identifying our strengths and not wasting our valuable time doing pursuits that don’t please us and distract us from doing what we were made to do. By doing so, you will create a state of “flow” which will bring you success and happiness.
5. Leave a legacy – Make a difference.
One thing that seems consistent among Baby Boomers is the desire to leave behind a legacy of making a difference in the world. There are thousands of ways to do this. Just figure out how you can focus your interests and strengths on making some kind of difference in your community or across the globe.
6. Take responsibility for your future
You alone are responsible for your past, your present, and your future. Successful Boomers recognize this and know that no one will plan your future for you. It is up to you to plan for the kind of life you want in your future and the kind of legacy you want to leave your family once you are gone. This includes proper financial planning, estate planning, and personal planning. Personal planning includes making arrangements, in case you need help managing your affairs during your lifetime due to an illness, injury, or disability.
Personal planning formalizes the support of your family and friends and gives your preferred representative the legal authority necessary to help you. Estate planning is about making arrangements to deal with your affairs after your death. The best time to do all of this planning is now, while you are healthy and before a crisis occurs. Everyone’s life is unique and everyone’s circumstances are different. All the unique aspects of you, your family and your assets need to be carefully examined and considered during your planning process. It’s important for Boomers to get the help they need to build a comprehensive and effective plan which usually involves the professional advice of a financial advisor, an accountant, and a lawyer.
We are confident that if you follow these 6 Habits that you will be on track to lead your best life possible.
The information provided above is for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a lawyer or address specific situations. Your personal situation should be discussed with a lawyer. If you have any questions or concerns, contact a legal professional.