Proactive Aging Versus Reactive Aging- Which Approach is Best? Ask yourself these 3 Questions!

Some personalities are prone to think ahead and behave proactively while others prefer to face life as it comes with a more reactive approach. You might argue that different approaches are appropriate given the context of the decision at hand.

While that might be true in a general sense, which approach is best for successful aging? Proactive aging or reactive aging?

To best answer, here are three questions to help you uncover which approach is best. We've provided a sample goal below to get your wheels turning, but the truth is, these questions are a process tool that can help you properly frame each of the many goals you have for your aging story.

‍1. "What do I want to be true about me as I get older?"

For example: "I never want to be a burden to my children or family."

‍2. "Are there probable things in my future, related to natural aging, that may prevent me from fulfilling this goal?"

For example: Change in health requiring daily support, home maintenance becomes too much, or I become unable to drive safely.

3. "Is there anything I can do to reduce the probability I will face these barriers in the future?"

For example: YES! I can move to a senior living community, managing the downsizing and community selection myself while I'm in good health, to ensure my family does not face this intense decision and overwhelming chore when I am in need.

If the answer is YES, this is a goal that requires a proactive approach. If the answer is NO, there is no action that can be done today to impact the future, therefore, you must "take life as it comes."

Using these three questions to sift through your various aging goals will soon reveal if action is needed now, soon, eventually, or maybe never! Remember, the "I'm invincible" mindset does not serve you well in this process. Take real inventory of your future, consider that more than half of seniors are projected to require daily care at some stage in their story. Additionally, you might need to consider that experts are now predicting that 42% of Americans will develop some sort of dementia. It is also important to know senior living communities are in higher demand than ever before due to the surges in the aging population.

So, is proactive aging better than reactive aging? Perhaps Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said it best, "A goal without a plan is just a wish."

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