I still like to think of myself as a spring chicken, even at the ripe old age of 38. Recently, however I have had to deal with my aging parents and it has opened my eyes as to how I want to live out my golden years.

I realized that I need to be pro-active now so that I can enjoy my twilight years. Here are a few areas I plan to focus on:

1. Build a community around you that is not connected to your family.

This might sound odd but it is very important. When I get older I need to have friends to keep me and my hubby company and not rely on family members for everything. Yes, I know my family will be there for me but they will have their own lives to live. I need to remember this and not burden them too much.

2. Keep active.

This seems like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, my hubby and I are not as active as we should be. Since helping my parents, I have a greater appreciation for how being active in my younger years will pay off during our elder years. It helps keep your body from breaking down and will help us connect to the larger community around us

3. Stop buying stuff I don’t really need.

One of the biggest challenges I am facing is helping my parents downsize their stuff. Yes, I can donate some of it to charities but there is lots of stuff that people just don’t want or need anymore.

4. Make the tough decisions early on.

For me, this means taking a hard look at our finances and our living arrangements. Downsize before you have to and don’t get caught up in becoming attached to a house/apartment which doesn’t meet your long term physical needs. By downsizing before things get tough, you get to make the choices you want as opposed to being rushed into something that you don’t want.

So what does this mean for me? Well, I’m going to invite some new friends over for dinner, do yoga once a week, clean out one closest (if I haven’t used something in a year – it’s outta here) and start planning for our retirement years.

What are you doing to make your golden years easier? Leave a comment below 🙂