The Quickest Way to Feel Younger

By Sara Altshul

2010 seems like an unbelievable number to me. It’s remote and futuristic in a way that 2009 never was. Where’s my Jetsons car, that snazzy monorail system that was supposed to replace highways, and my housecleaning robot? Not to mention the pill that was supposed to replace food. (I’m not a bit disappointed that one hasn’t become a reality.)

This summer, I’ll turn 60. Another remote and impossibly futuristic number, one that’s so far removed from 59 that I can’t believe it’s happening to me. By the time my grandmothers were 60, they were both little old ladies who wore matronly dresses and didn’t go out much except for family events. When my mother was 60, she was certainly more outgoing and energetic than her mother had been, but still, I thought of her as being old.

There was a basis for my thinking: Because none of my forebears lived much past their 70s, 60 meant closing in on the end. The knowledge of that has taken me by surprise. I never worried about getting older before. But now, I am, a little. Time seems exquisitely precious now that I can practically count it.

You might expect someone who writes about health to list all the things I’m going to do so that I can stay active and vibrant for as long as I possibly can. But really, if you’re a Health.com reader, you don’t need me to tell you to eat less, exercise more, reduce your stress, and eat tons of fruits and veggies. I will, as time goes by, share easier ways of doing all these things. But there’s one thing I can do to feel younger and more energetic almost instantly. So this year, I just have one resolution, only one. Here it is:

I’m cutting back on the time-suckers in my life and investing that time in doing something I’ve always wanted to do.

Honestly, do I need to read celebrity gossip updates or check my Facebook page every 30 minutes? I bet I while away hours a week on pointless stories and Internet activities that aren’t even that entertaining. And really, all those Law & Order marathons that I can watch endlessly? It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen an episode—I can watch it all over again even when I know that the celebrity guest is the murderer. I’m not getting any of that time back, ever.

So what would I rather point to at the end of the day? That I frittered away my time on pointless activities? Or that I invested it in, say, writing the big book that’s been percolating in my head for decades. The answer is easy. And I know this—if I give myself a really compelling reason to stay young-minded, I might just beat my family history.