For 59 years, I didn’t think about aging. But lately, it’s been on my mind a lot. The reason why I’ve been thinking about aging? I don’t feel like the 60-year-old that I am – and that got me curious.

We can’t stop the aging process, but we can age well and actively. So today, we’ll take a look at:

What it means to live vibrantly in our 50s, 60s and beyond;
How we can change the aging paradigm; and
Specific wellness investments you can make to continue to live with vitality.

Aging has long been associated with decline and dependency. That’s because the conventional models we have are based on inactive, sedentary lifestyles that lead to frailness and diminishing capacities. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Case in point. My father died last year; a few months short of his 102nd birthday. Now you may have an image in your head of what this elderly man might look like, but he was often mistaken for a man in his 80s, even after he turned 100. He was a rock star at his retirement home, where he stayed active and engaged until his passing.

When I share this story, people tell me I must have good genes. But my father’s mother died from a brain aneurysm in her 40s and his father died of heart disease in his early 50s. My dad outlived his parents by more than 50 years. It set him apart from his peers. His community was filled with people, some two or three decades younger, who relied on walkers and wheelchairs to get around, while he was striding ahead to hold the door for them.

How did he do it? His lifestyle choices – my father was a man of moderation. And those choices have shaped my own wellness practices and the work I do today. So just like my dad, we can live longer, stay engaged, and contribute for many years to come.

But how do we invest in our well-being for the long-term? First, let’s take a look at what it means to live vibrantly in midlife and beyond.

I have to state for the record that it took me a while to follow in his footsteps. I started my career on Wall Street and let’s just say I followed the mantra at the time of “Work hard, play hard.” It lasted until that lifestyle began taking a toll when I was in my mid-30s. I was sitting behind a desk, gaining weight, and becoming unhealthier by the day. That’s when I made the decision to change my lifestyle habits.

Fast forward a few decades to earlier this year. I’m about to take a big hiking trip in the Canadian Rockies and thought it would be a good idea to get a check-up before I went, because I was going to be in a place so remote that if anything happened, I’d need to get Medevaced out.

I made an appointment with a new physician who was recommended by a friend. Once I filled out the paperwork, the barrage of tests began – all the necessary samples collected along with a bone density test and an EKG. The doctor, who I had never met before, walked in and summed up his medical opinion with four words. “You’re bad for business.”

What he meant was – there are no drugs to prescribe and no further tests to schedule.

I share that story to let you know that even if you’ve “played hard” as I have in the past, the investments you make in your wellness do pay off. So there’s no shaming here. Meet yourself where you are and celebrate any investment you make. There’s no one right way to do this – only the right way, for you.

So how do you want to live? My guess is that you’d like to age actively instead of sedentarily. And there’s a simple process to work toward that wellness intention:

Identify your options to create a strategic portfolio approach to your wellness;
Select the specific lifestyle actions you can take to increase your vitality;
Build in a periodic review so you can assess the effectiveness of your investment; and
Make adjustments to increase your enjoyment, because if it’s not fun, chances are it won’t be sustainable.

To build your personalized wellness investment portfolio, start with your wellness investment options. Here are four categories to consider and specific areas you can incorporate into your wellness portfolio:

Physical: This includes nutrition, movement, mobility, balance, flexibility, strength, endurance, breath capacity, and sleep. What’s the most pressing area that you can give some love?
Mental: This includes cognitive function, stress management, financial well-being, life engagement, opportunities for growth, and your overall mood. How can you keep yourself functioning, exploring, and optimistic?
Social: This includes family, friends and colleagues, emotional well-being, purpose and community. What role would you like to play in your social structure that would bring value?
Spiritual: This includes connection to something greater than yourself, such as faith, flow, creativity, possibility, and our natural world. How can you reinforce your inner peace and connection to the greater Universe?

That may seem like an overwhelming menu of options and a lot to incorporate into your already busy days. But here’s a pro tip – you can cover the areas that are most important to you by focusing on a few activities. Let me give you an example.

During my last years in corporate, my main wellness activities were long distance endurance sports, such as biking and running. I also focused on sports nutrition to keep me fueled appropriately, along with a brief meditation practice I did first thing in the morning. For me at that time, it covered all four areas. The physical element is obvious. But being out on the trails also gave me a mental break and an audacious growth goal to bike 300 miles or to run a 50k. Socially, it connected with new friends who had similar interests. And being out in nature and my morning meditations connected me to something beyond myself and inspired me with possibility.

Today, my wellness activities have shifted. I no longer need endurance sports to reduce my stress. Now I focus on activities that encourage strength, flexibility and balance, such as CrossFit, kickboxing and hiking. And I no longer train for events. Instead, I make fitness dates with my friends. In addition, I love taking long walks in nature and my morning meditation is still a daily connection to the spiritual and natural worlds.

So as you can see from my example, a few intentional activities that you enjoy can check a lot of wellness boxes and easily be incorporated into your days, even as your life shifts.

Now that you know your options, it’s time to create a diversified strategy by considering the investment opportunities that would make the most impact. Where would you like to make deposits today that will serve you now and pay off in the future in the form of an increased quality of life?

Here’s an example of how I created my wellness investment strategy when I was in my 30s. I simply asked myself three questions:

Of the four areas of physical, mental, social and spiritual, what is most critical? The answer for me at the time was clear – my physical health. You can simply think of the answer to this question as your “What.”
By making an investment in my physical health, how would my life be transformed? The answer touches more than just the physical category. My overall well-being would benefit with more energy, focus and mobility. And I’d experience the increased confidence that comes with looking and feeling better. You can simply think of the answer to this question as your “Why.”
Given my current circumstance, what investment is viable? I did not have the physical capacity to run an ultra marathon, like a did a few years ago, when I was just starting to focus on my health in my 30s. So I selected a popular program at the time called Body for Life. It was a book by Bill Phillips that you can still buy today and uses a combination of strength training, cardio, and nutrition that was very effective for me as a beginner. You can simply think of the answer to this question as your “How.”

Once you have your What, Why and How, it’s time to take action and create an investment plan. Create a schedule that invests your time appropriately. You can think of this step as your “When.” Using my Body for Life example from my 30s, I had to determine when I would: a) get my workouts in; and b) prepare my meals for the week.

At the time, my partner and I commuted into Manhattan and left New Jersey each morning before 6:30am. That meant I was either on the treadmill or weight bench at 5am. We went food shopping on Saturdays and prepared our meals for the week on Sundays.

Once your essentials are set-up and your investment action plan scheduled, monitor your progress. I suggest following your plan for 90 days. In my case, the Body for Life book is a 12-week program that comes with tracking sheets, so that made it easy for me all those years ago. I still track my progress today, using a combination of my calendar and simple logs, both manual and digital. Find something that works well for you.

After three months, and every quarter after that, check in with yourself. Take a look at your efforts and determine if your investments are paying off. I was still working in financial services in 1999 when I did the Body for Life program. About eight weeks in, my colleagues began asking what I was doing because they could see the change in my body. Even so, I kept tracking and stuck to the program for years. So create process that you can work with for the foreseeable future.

At some point, you may find yourself plateauing or less enthused with your wellness investment choices. That’s when you rebalance your portfolio. Your life, body and interests will change. Keep your wellness portfolio balanced with the intention of long-term sustainability. Adjust your plan as needed while making consistent deposits into your account.

The wonderful thing about this approach is you get to enjoy the rewards today and in the future. It’s a win-win all around.

As we wrap up, I’d like to share a few words on something that acts like compounding interest – and that’s a positive mindset, the foundation of active aging.

Another Dad story: In the 1930s, my father was a state champion gymnast.

An injury prevented him from pursuing his dream beyond high school. In fact, I never saw him step foot in a gym – ever. Even so, his identity was that of a champion gymnast. It’s how he carried himself, how he cared for himself, and how he flashed his skills from time to time, on a chin-up bar or off a diving board when we were on vacation or in someone’s backyard. And even in his late 80s, it’s what drove him to become the oldest person to scale a rock climbing wall, twice, while enjoying a cruise with my mom.

*Dad scaling a rock climbing wall in the 2000s.*

When we approach life with optimism and that kind of “can do” attitude, we can reframe challenges as opportunities for discovery and growth. By cultivating a positive outlook, we can reduce stress, improve our mood, and amplify the effect of our wellness actions. You may even be inspired to challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone, reaching beyond what you think is possible today.

It’s never too late to start investing in your well-being. By taking small, consistent steps, you’re making deposits into your future self. These investments will pay dividends for years to come, in the form of improved health, increased energy and greater happiness.

As author Michael Easter reminds us, “Most people today rarely step outside their comfort zones.” By challenging yourself and embracing new experiences and adventures, you’re not just investing in your health and happiness, you’re compounding your potential to live a life that’s truly extraordinary for a long time to come.

Journal Reflections: As you review your current wellness investment plan, what’s working well? What areas of your plan could use more love? What’s the most impactful investment you can make today?

How to Build a Wellness Investment Plan