Ever notice how some older people just radiate this magnetic energy that makes everyone around them lean in a little closer? I was at a coffee shop in Saigon last week, and this 70-something guy rolled up on his bicycle, ordered his Vietnamese coffee, and struck up a conversation with a group of twenty-somethings about cryptocurrency and AI.

The entire table was hanging on his every word. Not because he was trying to be young or hip, but because he genuinely understood what they were talking about and had fascinating perspectives to share.

As I watched this scene unfold, I couldn’t help but think: that’s exactly who I want to be at 70. The kind of person who makes younger generations think, “Damn, I hope I’m that sharp, that engaged, that alive when I’m older.”

But here’s the thing. Becoming that person doesn’t just happen. It’s not about good genes or lucky circumstances. It’s about the habits and practices you maintain throughout your life, especially as you age.

So what exactly should you still be doing at 70 if you want to be the older person everyone admires? Let’s dive in.

1. Keep learning something completely new

Remember when you thought you were too old to learn something new at 30? Or 40? Yeah, that was nonsense then, and it’s nonsense at 70.

The moment you stop learning is the moment you start becoming irrelevant. And I’m not talking about taking a pottery class (though that’s cool too). I’m talking about diving into subjects that challenge your brain and force you to think differently.

Learn a programming language. Study blockchain technology. Take up a musical instrument you’ve never touched before. Hell, learn TikTok if that’s what it takes to understand how younger generations communicate.

I’m currently learning Vietnamese to better connect with my wife’s family, and let me tell you, it’s humbling as hell. My pronunciation makes native speakers wince, and I mix up tones constantly. But every small breakthrough feels like a victory, and more importantly, it keeps my brain plastic and adaptable.

The key isn’t to become an expert. It’s to remain a perpetual student, always curious, always willing to admit you don’t know something.

2. Stay physically active in ways that challenge you

Look, I get it. At 70, your knees might not love you the way they did at 25. But that’s not an excuse to become sedentary.

The older adults who command respect and admiration aren’t the ones sitting in their recliners all day. They’re the ones still pushing their physical boundaries, just in smarter ways.

You don’t need to run marathons (unless you want to). But you should still be doing something that makes you sweat, breathe hard, and feel alive. Swimming, hiking, cycling, yoga, strength training, whatever works for your body.

I run regularly here in the tropical heat of Singapore and Saigon, and I use the physical discomfort as a mindfulness tool. It’s taught me that discomfort isn’t the enemy; stagnation is. This is actually something I explore more deeply in my book Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego, where I discuss how Buddhist principles can help us reframe our relationship with discomfort.

The goal isn’t to compete with younger people. It’s to maintain the vitality and energy that makes people forget you’re 70 in the first place.

3. Maintain genuine curiosity about younger generations

Want to know the fastest way to become that bitter old person everyone avoids? Start every sentence with “Back in my day…” and dismiss everything new as inferior to how things used to be.

The 70-year-olds who inspire admiration don’t lecture younger people about how things should be. They ask questions. They listen. They genuinely want to understand new perspectives, even if they don’t always agree with them.

This doesn’t mean you have to love everything about modern culture. But approaching it with curiosity rather than judgment makes all the difference. Ask your grandkids about their favorite music and actually listen to it. Try to understand why they care about the things they care about.

When you maintain this curiosity, something magical happens. Younger people start seeking out your perspective because they know you’ll actually hear theirs first.

4. Keep creating and contributing

Retirement shouldn’t mean retreating from the world. The most admired older adults are still creating, building, and contributing in meaningful ways.

Maybe you’re not running a startup anymore, but you could be mentoring young entrepreneurs. Maybe you’re not writing code, but you could be teaching others or contributing to open-source projects. Maybe you’re not leading a company, but you could be volunteering for causes that matter.

The form of contribution matters less than the act itself. When you’re still adding value to the world at 70, people notice. They see someone who hasn’t checked out, who still believes they have something to offer.

5. Embrace technology instead of fighting it

Nothing ages you faster than proudly declaring you don’t understand technology and have no interest in learning.

You don’t need to become a tech wizard, but you should understand the basics of how the modern world works. Can you video call your grandkids? Use apps that make your life easier? Understand enough about online security to protect yourself?

More importantly, can you have intelligent conversations about how technology is shaping society? Because like it or not, that’s the world we live in, and refusing to engage with it just makes you irrelevant.

6. Practice radical self-awareness and growth

Here’s something most people don’t want to admit: your personality flaws don’t get a pass just because you’re older. If anything, they become more pronounced and less tolerable.

The 70-year-olds everyone admires are the ones who are still working on themselves. They acknowledge their weaknesses, apologize when they’re wrong, and actively try to grow as people.

This ties directly into mindfulness practice, something I explore extensively in Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego. The ego doesn’t retire at 65. If anything, it needs more conscious management as we age.

Self-awareness at 70 means recognizing when you’re being stubborn, when you’re wrong, when you need to change. It means not using your age as an excuse for bad behavior.

7. Maintain your sense of humor and playfulness

When did we decide that getting older meant becoming serious all the time? The most magnetic older adults are the ones who still laugh easily, make jokes, and don’t take themselves too seriously.

This doesn’t mean being the inappropriate uncle at family gatherings. It means maintaining that spark of playfulness that makes people want to be around you. It means being able to laugh at yourself, find humor in daily situations, and not let the weight of years crush your spirit.

8. Build and maintain diverse friendships

If all your friends are within five years of your age, you’re doing it wrong.

The 70-year-olds who inspire admiration have friends across generations. They hang out with 30-somethings, 50-somethings, even 20-somethings. They’re not trying to be young; they’re just interesting enough that age becomes irrelevant.

This requires effort. It means showing up to events where you might be the oldest person in the room. It means being open to different perspectives and experiences. It means not automatically gravitating toward people just like you.

9. Live with intention, not just routine

The saddest thing about aging isn’t physical decline. It’s when people stop being intentional about their lives and just go through the motions.

Wake up, read the newspaper, watch TV, go to bed, repeat. That’s not living; that’s waiting to die.

The older adults who inspire us are still setting goals, making plans, trying new things. They’re intentional about how they spend their time, who they spend it with, and what they want to accomplish.

They’re not just filling time; they’re making it count.

Final words

Here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: becoming the kind of 70-year-old everyone admires starts right now, regardless of your current age.

Every time you choose curiosity over judgment, growth over stagnation, engagement over withdrawal, you’re building the foundation for who you’ll be at 70.

The older adults we look up to didn’t suddenly become interesting at 70. They maintained and cultivated the habits that keep people vital, relevant, and engaging throughout their entire lives.

So start now. Stay curious. Keep learning. Challenge yourself physically and mentally. Build bridges instead of walls. Because someday, if you do it right, you’ll be that 70-something riding your bike through the chaos of life, making younger generations think, “I hope I’m like that when I’m older.”