Top 6 New Year’s Resolutions for Seniors

Ah, it’s that time of year when everyone promises themselves that they’ll change for the better. No doubt you’ve made past resolutions and watched as they faded into the murky depths without a hint of accomplishment. Well, not this year! Let this year be the year your New Year’s resolutions enjoy a standing ovation. Experts recommend selecting resolutions that are specific rather than vague. In addition, great resolutions should be meaningful to yourself more so than to others. Individuals strive to accomplish goals that increase their overall life. Ready? Here are the top 6 New Year’s resolutions ideal for seniors.

1. Increase Your Health

It’s no secret that you aren’t getting any younger…but what you can do is feel younger. Engaging in moderate physical activity every day such as walking, senior-focused aerobics, and/or yoga is an excellent way to lose a little weight, build and tone muscles, and increase blood and oxygen flow throughout the body. And there’s no better time than now to sign up for a personal trainer—many will even come to your home and bring special equipment such as balance balls, stretch bands, and light weights with them. In addition to increasing physical activity, take an honest look at your dietary habits and try to modify them to ensure you’re getting enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (that’s all the good stuff offering fiber!) and decreasing particularly fatty or carbohydrate-based foods. Remember: be specific in setting this resolution; instead of resolving to be healthier, resolve to walk 1 hour four times each week.

2. Learn Something New

Always wondered about creating a stained glass masterpiece? Love museums? Enjoy birdwatching? Interested in scuba diving? Contemplated learning another language? Well, now’s a good time to look into some classes and pursue that passion you’ve always been curious about. Many community colleges offer wonderful classes at a discounted or free rate for seniors. Deal sites such as Groupon and Living Social also offer a significant number of workshops for painting, terrariums, and a host of diverse activities. Invite a few friends and have a great time! Remember: many scientific studies support a positive correlation between longevity and learning. Those who routinely engage in tackling new skills statistically are likely to live longer, more happy lives.

3. Review all Relevant Paperwork

January is an excellent time to dust off all those important life papers, review them, and make any necessary updates. Relevant paperwork should include wills, medical paperwork including DNR orders, all financial accounts, and other key legal documents. Update any information that may have changed. If you plan on traveling this year, check your passport expiration date to ensure that it will remain valid through the year; many countries require that a passport contain at least six months of validity when entering the country, so it’s best to always renew passports with looming expiration dates sooner rather than later. Passport applications and renewals can be painless given enough time; here’s everything you need to know.

4. Get Engaged in the Community

Now that you’re retired, you have the time to support whatever causes are close to your heart. Whether you’d like to volunteer for a political candidate, read to children at local schools, run programs at a park or nature center, organize a group to create items needed for hospitals or shelters, get engaged in the community. Many non-profit groups have experienced cut-backs in federal and state funding, and rely on volunteers to provide transformative programs to the community. Even Forbes.com hails the many benefits of volunteering! So whether you’d like to volunteer at a food bank or animal shelter, call or email to get the ball rolling on giving back to the community.

5. Reconnect with Friends and Family

Oftentimes balancing raising a family and excelling in a career can take its toll on the relationships we have with friends and family. Now that you have the time, consider reaching out to reconnect with old friends and family members you’d like to spend more time with. Consider organizing a lunch or weekend away for old high school or college friends. Technology applications such as Facebook and Skype make it easier to connect and remain connected with others. If you live far from the kids and grandkids, download a video chat program like Skype to video call once a week to check in and stay connected!

6. Pay it Forward

Your life’s been pretty good! Anonymous acts of kindness not only brighten a stranger’s day, but your own day as well. Consider seed bombing a patch of dirt. Tape a dollar to a vending machine you pass by. Leave some books you’ve enjoyed where others might enjoy them as well. Pay someone else’s late library fine. You may never know the impact of your kindness, but the impact is there—it will tangibly, positively affect a stranger’s day!

New Year’s resolutions are easy to make and then forget. Don’t fall into this majority! Consider resolutions and make only those that will make a true, positive impact on your life as well as the lives around you. Most importantly, resolve to live the life you’ve always wanted.

Top 6 New Year's Resolutions for Seniors | Senior Living Link