I feel very lucky to say that on the whole, life just keeps getting better with every passing year.

It’s something that turns on its head the stereotypical idea that we’re suddenly “past it” when we hit a certain age.

That’s not to say that life doesn’t still present challenges along the way. That’s always going to be a part of the journey.

But in many ways, I’m so much more emotionally well-equipped to handle it than I was in my younger years.

That’s just one of the many reasons why life certainly can bring you so many more joys as you get older.

But of course, we have an important part to play in making sure this happens. Let’s look at the things we can do to welcome greater happiness — at any age!

1) Never stop growing

There isn’t a finish line in life.

That means we can’t pop our feet up and rest on our laurels.

We have to keep on seeking those growth experiences that will welcome greater wisdom, understanding, and ultimately, happiness into life.

I see it happen all the time.

People hitting a certain age and assuming it’s time to wind down, or assuming that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Sure, if that’s what you want, feel free to enjoy a quieter pace of life. But never let it apply to your mind.

Seek out ways to embrace fresh perspectives. Go searching for new self-discoveries. Learn about something that sparks curiosity in you.

Growth is such a wonderful way to feel good about ourselves. That sense of expansion makes you feel proud and reminds you that you’re alive.

2) Embrace the self-acceptance you struggled with in youth

Ok, I’m making an assumption here. Maybe you were lucky enough to have unbreakable self-confidence throughout your life.

But certainly for many of us, it’s a skill we are constantly tweaking.

Self-judgment is an all too common sneaky habit we fall into. We put ourselves down and beat ourselves up over perceived flaws and imperfections.

Finding contentment and living a peaceful life with yourself (as opposed to being at war with yourself) relies on learning to accept all of who you are.

Greater self-compassion is your strongest ally in doing this.

I’m not saying that I don’t have days when I can be down on myself. In fact, aging often brings with it a whole new set of things we have to come to terms with.

But I can see the progress I’ve made over the years.

And one thing is for certain, the more you can cut yourself slack, the happier you will feel.

3) Check in with your priorities to see whether they’re still aligned

This clearly should apply to any stage in life. But often we decide early on in life what we want and then diligently get to work to go after it full steam ahead.

Yet that could have shifted and so you’re inadvertently nurturing the wrong things.

As a consequence, we can invest our time in people and pursuits that aren’t worth it.

The point is:

Priorities change.

That’s why at various stages in our life it’s so important to check in again on your core values.

As you grow, the chances are the things that once brought you pleasure and meaning may have shifted.

If you want to ensure your future, as well as present happiness, you have to be mindful of how you’re spending your time and whether it still feels deeply aligned.

4) Make yourself useful

It’s official, giving back gives us joy.

The science shows how giving to others makes us happier.

Not only does it boost your self-esteem, but it also has wonderfully surprising effects on your health too — like lowering your blood pressure.

There is evidence that we’re more selfish in our younger years. But as you get older, you may find that your urge to give back gets stronger.

Perhaps it’s part of an ever-growing desire to find greater meaning and purpose in the way you spend your time on this planet. I know the older I get, the more important that feels to me.

Especially after we retire, we can feel like we’ve lost that spark we once had. We don’t always feel useful anymore and it can hurt.

That’s why getting involved, at any age is really important to our well-being.

It’s all part of staying connected to the world around us. This brings us to the next point on our list, because the quality of our relationships is a big part of that.

5) Nurture quality connections and let the others slide

Quality relationships are key in life according to the longest study ever conducted on human happiness. 

Of course, that applies to any age of life. But other research has found that the older we get, loneliness and social isolation become more of a risk factor.

As highlighted in The Atlantic:

“Loneliness has a physical effect on the body. It can render people more sensitive to pain, suppress their immune system, diminish brain function, and disrupt sleep, which in turn can make an already lonely person even more tired and irritable. Research has found that, for older adults, loneliness is far more dangerous than obesity. Ongoing loneliness raises a person’s odds of death by 26 percent in any given year.”

The antidote is clear.

Studies have found that older people who have more social engagements enjoy health benefits from staying connected.

That means we shouldn’t lose sight of the people who matter.

Making a conscientious effort to keep in touch with those you value the most is more than worth it.

Rather than spread yourself too thin, go for quality over quantity.

6) Do the things you’ve always secretly wanted to do

I care a lot less what other people think of me these days.

This puts me in a wonderful position to live a life true to myself, and not the life that other people expect of me.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because this trap of trying to please others rather than honoring ourselves is the top regret given by people on their deathbeds.

Well, guess what, the good news is that you are not on your deathbed so if you’re still not doing it there’s plenty of time to turn that around.

You are never too old to be who you’ve always wanted to be.

That may mean making a lifestyle change that brings you back to life. It could be though honoring a part of yourself you’ve long neglected.

It may involve starting on a personal adventure of travel, creating a new business, trying a new profession, or simply embarking on greater self-discovery.

Because despite what they say, life doesn’t begin at 40, or 50…or any other defined time.

It actually starts as soon as you make the decision to start truly living.

7) Let go of regret and grudges

You may not even notice it happening, but holding on to them is eating away at you from the inside.

Life is too short my friend to hold things against people. Not necessarily for their benefit either, but for your own.

When we ruminate on the poor way we were treated by someone, they don’t know it. All that suffering is only felt within us.

As explained by therapist Kathy McCoy:

“In holding a grudge, you unwittingly give the other person negative power over your life and emotions instead of moving on and creating a new and better life for yourself. Studies have found that holding a grudge not only may be detrimental to your quality of life, but also to your physical health.”

Yet sometimes, the grudge we hold is actually against ourselves, not others.

We may look back at missed opportunities, mistakes made, and things we wish we could go back and do over.

All these “should haves” or “could haves” equally eat away at you.

As actress Lily Tomlin once said, “Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”

For the sake of our happiness, we should strive to focus on the present.

8) Cultivate the mindset that the best is yet to come

Research has shown that negative perceptions about the downsides of aging can hold us back.

If we want to get happier as we get older, we have to actively reject those self-limiting and societal stereotypes about what being “old” entails.

The mindset we decide to work towards is such a big determiner of how we feel every single day.

Adding a gratitude practice to your daily routine can make sure you fully appreciate every moment.

Nobody wants their blessings to pass them by, so it’s important to make each day count, simply by noticing it and saying thanks for it.

Mindfulness is another great tool at our disposal to create more peace and positivity.

Not only does it help to keep stress in check and reduce worry, but it also regulates emotions as well as deepens our flexibility, compassion, and focus.

We have to remind ourselves that the quality of our life is felt entirely through our perceptions, which start and end in the brain.

You can work all your life towards certain goals or achievements, but if you can’t appreciate them, what’s the point?

Now is the right moment to slow down and take time to smell the roses.

Don’t chase happiness, create it

We have a habit of running after happiness as though it’s something outside of us that we need to catch.

But really it’s about discovering where it already exists in your life, and that always starts within.

The more you notice it, the more it will grow.

It’s about taking self-responsibility and resisting the urge to think of happiness as something that needs to be found.

I know that it certainly does feel like a game of hide and seek sometimes. But it’s also true that the more we look for it, the more it can seem elusive.