It seems laughable to even think about goals and life direction when you’re 60.
But what if you’ll live to 95? Will you just wait on your couch sipping turmeric tea until then?
Colonel Sanders had KFC at 65, Frank McCourt became a best-selling author at 66, Jane Fonda is still rocking it at 84! So why can’t you rock your twilight years, too?
In this article, I will give you a step-by-step guide on what to do if you’re feeling lost in your sixties.
1) Remind yourself that everyone your age is probably feeling this way.
If you have no life direction when you’re 60, you’re definitely not alone.
You see, it’s actually quite normal.
At this age, it’s common for people to have already lost their partners (either through death or divorce), and they’re also probably retired with plenty of free time.
Those who have kids might be suffering from empty-nest syndrome, too.
The people your age who look like they got it all together? Well, they probably have problems you know nothing about. The same way some people think you got it all together but you’re feeling lost right now.
Trust me. Everyone who’s over the age of sixty has felt exactly what you’re feeling right now.
And it’s not a bad thing.
This is just a normal feeling to undergo at this phase in life, so don’t ever feel sorry for yourself for feeling lost. You’ll find another thing to be excited about sooner than you think.
2) Count your blessings.
Before you even think of how you can improve your life, be thankful for the things that you have and those that happened to you.
Please don’t roll your eyes.
This isn’t a way to comfort you that it isn’t all that bad. Well, it kinda is but it’s more than that—it’s a necessary step for you to find your direction in life.
Go do it!
Let’s try it together.
It may sound too basic but the fact that you’re still here on Earth is something! Seriously. I’m sure some people you know are already resting six feet under. Isn’t it great that you can still smell flowers and drink cheap wine?
And hey, it wasn’t all that bad, was it? You had your great moments. Maybe you fell deeply in love at 20, but divorced at 40. It’s NOT nothing. It’s a life experience worth savoring still.
Say thanks for the good things and even the bad ones because they’ve made your life colorful.
3) Define what you mean by “direction”.
You feel that you have no direction in life. But what does this really mean? More importantly, what does it mean to YOU?
Not having direction is different from just getting bored with your life, although boredom is a symptom.
Having direction is different from success, too. There are many ways one can pursue a happy, fulfilling life and success is not the only “direction” to get there.
What is your compass? What are your metrics that you’re already in the right direction? When can you finally say you’re not directionless?
Set a time to really think about it.
Maybe a sense of direction to you means doing your hobbies or earning more money. Maybe it’s finding the love of your life, which is probably the riskiest “direction” you should pursue but I digress…
Be as clear as possible by what you mean by life direction.
If you don’t know what “life direction” means to you, you’ll find it hard to get out of your crisis.
I mean, how can you pursue something when you’re not so clear what it is you’re going after?
4) Re (discover) your inner sense of purpose.
It’s difficult to feel good about getting older when you’re not feeling in sync.
And the reason you could be feeling “out of sync” is because you’re not living your life aligned with a deeper sense of purpose.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to own a flower shop in Tuscany but when you got serious in life, you realized it won’t make you rich so you worked in advertising instead.
Go back to that. Or heck, start a new one! But try to go beyond passion (we have a lot), think of your life purpose.
How?
I learned a new way to discover my purpose after watching Ideapod co-founder Justin Brown’s video on the hidden trap of improving yourself. He explains that most people misunderstand how to find their purpose, using visualization and other self-help techniques.
However, visualization isn’t the best way to find your purpose. Instead, there’s a new way to do it which Justin Brown learned from spending time with a shaman in Brazil.
After watching the video, I discovered my purpose in life and it dissolved my feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction. This helped me to [connect the pitch with the problem the reader is facing].
5) Remember that life has many chapters.
We can’t be constantly “successful” and “secure” and in the “right” direction until we die.
That’s just impossible! And quite frankly, boring.
This is true for everyone: We only stop experiencing life’s ups and downs when we’re already dead.
As long as we’re alive, it’s only normal that we move and evolve—that we go high and go low and then high again.
Our lives are full of chapters—especially yours since you’re already sixty—and that’s something to be thankful for.
Yes, some people may live lives with lesser (but longer) chapters. But you’re blessed to have one that’s filled with shorter ones.
And you know what? yours is possibly more fun!
6) Don’t forget that you’re free to do whatever you like—now more than ever!
When we’re younger, there were a lot of rules given to us by our parents, peers, partners…society, basically.
Now? You’re officially allowed to unsubscribe to that because you just turned sixty!
You can finally dye your hair green and wear a sexy bikini to the beach without giving a damn what other people think. It’s quite sad, really, how we only allow ourselves to be free when we’re older.
But it might also be the root of your crisis.
Because you’re now free to do whatever you want, you feel lost. You’re so used to staying in the box that you don’t know what to do once you’re out of it.
But this feeling is only temporary.
To move out of this funk, think of what you wanted to be when you’re a child. Did you once imagine living on top of a hill as a unicorn who owns three cats? Be that!
Go back to your “silly” childhood wishes or imagine a life that seems so crazy, then try that.
7) Get rid of the life you have always imagined.
The life you’ve always imagined when you turn 60 may already be outdated.
Let’s say that in your thirties you always imagined that when you retire, you’ll be traveling the world with your husband or wife and your five cats.
But what if your partner divorced you or you’re not yet retired or you don’t even own a single cat?
Well then, you can adjust. Instead of traveling the world with a partner, then just do it with your kids!
And here’s the thing: You can also scap that vision if you don’t like it already, and imagine a new one that you truly like.
You are still free to dream, to start over. And dreams should be free, not set in stone.
The good thing with having no direction yet is that you can go any direction you want to go. So take the time to sit down and imagine your life without thinking of your past visions.
You didn’t sign a contract with your past dreams. You can dream in the present.
8) Take charge of your life.
Maybe you feel lost because you’ve been anchoring your decisions on the people around you—your boss, your partner, your parents, your kids.
Now that you’re sixty, it’s time to take ownership of your life. It’s the only way to get excited again!
But what does it take to build a life filled with exciting opportunities and passion-fueled adventures?
Most of us hope for a life like that, but we feel stuck, unable to achieve the goals we wishfully set at the start of each year.
I felt the same way until I took part in Life Journal. Created by teacher and life coach Jeanette Brown, this was the ultimate wake-up call I needed to stop dreaming and start taking action.
Click here to find out more about Life Journal.
What makes Jeanette’s guidance more effective than other self-development programs?
It’s simple: Jeanette’s created a unique way of putting YOU in control of your life.
She’s not interested in telling you how to live your life. Instead, she’ll give you lifelong tools that’ll help you achieve all your goals, keeping the focus on what you’re passionate about.
And that’s what makes Life Journal so powerful.
If you’re ready to start living the life you’ve always dreamt of, you need to check out Jeanette’s advice. Who knows, today could be the first day of your new life.
9) Surround yourself with passionate people.
A lot of our happiness depends on the people we hang around with.
If you feel like you’re lacking in life direction, maybe you’re surrounded by people who don’t see so much importance in finding a life direction. Maybe they’re happy playing cards and gossiping all afternoon.
And you know what? What they’re doing is totally okay (remember point 6?).
But if you still want to discover and pursue your life purpose, then be with people who exude this kind of energy.
Don’t shy away from hanging out with those much younger than you. They have the infectious energy that can help you propel to the life that you want. Some older people, too, but they’re a rare breed.
When you’re in your sixties, it’s easy to fall into a routine, and to go back to the same kind of thinking. Break that pattern right now.
And you can start doing that by being around like-minded people, even if it’s your 6-year-old nephew.
10) You don’t have to go for gold.
Most people feel that they have to leave a legacy before they die…that they have to be GREAT at something! It’s probably human nature to think this way because we think that it’s the best way for us to be useful…to be remembered.
More and more of us want to make a dent in the universe—to be the next Steve Jobs or Da Vinci.
You absolutely don’t have to do that!
You can just be DOING something that you love, and not necessarily excelling in it.
Awards and praises are just a bonus. What’s more important is the pleasure you get from doing something that you genuinely enjoy or find purpose in.
11) Turn worry and self-pity into excitement.
You’re at the “third act” of your life, so to speak. And just like in the movies, it can be the most rewarding moment of your life.
Instead of worrying that you don’t know the next chapter, get excited!
Anything can still happen. It’s true.
You might fall in love again like you never did before, you might start a new business that will help the world, you might even become a TikTok superstar.
Anything is still possible with the new chapter you’re about to enter.
Replace dread with “What if things will turn out well?”
Because they likely will.
CONCLUSION
I always remember Michael Caine’s words when I think about old age.
He said:
“You mustn’t sit around waiting to die. When you die, you should come into the cemetery on a motorbike, skid to a halt by the side of the coffin, jump in and say: “Great I just made it.”
If you’re feeling lost, just get on that motorcycle and just start moving.
You’ll find that any direction is better than staying in place. But of course, some introspection would do you good before you turn the engine on.
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