Aging Matters
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count.
It’s the life in your years.”
As many of you know, the idea of the “go-go” years, the “slow-go” years, and the “no-go” years have been part of our Mirus vernacular for decades. These are timelines to pay attention to as we consider doing things during our life’s journey—particularly as we approach and hopefully enjoy our “retired” years.
As I reflect upon 2023 and my rapidly approaching age 56 in December, I’ve noted many of our planning update discussions have involved health matters and aging considerations. So much of our guidance involves the future (growing older daily)—aging is an inherent issue we often navigate together with you.
We believe planning and contemplating your options BEFORE urgent matters arise leads to more thoughtful and prepared decision making. Things like updating legal documents, considering where you wish to live as you age (at home or in a community), evaluating your caregiving options (family or professionals) and having your matters in an organized framework need periodic attention from time to time. While important issues—they are not necessarily urgent—until they are. With design and intention—being organized, up to date and written desires in place—matters.
As a trusted guide to you, we believe it is important for us to identify other like-minded professionals and resources that may offer services and/or ideas that might be useful beyond traditional financial planning.
We hope you find the resources and ideas included here useful.
Aging and Planning Resources
Aging Wisdom
We recently conducted a webinar with the founder of Aging Wisdom, Lisa Mayfield. Lisa is a nationally known expert in the field of Aging Life Care. We have provided a link below to view the recording is below in case you missed it.
Since 2003, Aging Wisdom has been helping families make sense of the many changes that occur with aging to find support, resources, and solutions to live well, care well, and age well.
In Case You Get Hit By A Bus:
How to Organize Your Life Now for When You’re Not Around Later
Organizing ourselves can be one of the most important things we can do for our loved ones. This book offers excellent reminders of the many things that make up our world that if we were not around would be difficult for others to recreate—unless we help create a detailed road map of our things, our documents, our passwords, etc. This book operates like a workbook and can really be a useful resource to get organized by casting a wide net. In 2024, it is our plan to start a Mirus book club over Zoom and this will be our first book to read and review together. We are thinking about a visit every other Friday beginning in January.
Ohana Fiduciary Corporation
Ohana is a firm located in Seattle that we often recommend for clients to use in lieu of family members as it relates to serving as Power of Attorney, Executor, and Trustee. My own personal experience in these roles (several times for family members) has shed light on the challenging tasks and dynamics that occur when family members are handling such endeavors. We believe that hiring a professional can make things simpler and less stressful for family members for these types of roles.
Aging Well
While being organized is important as we age and slow down, there are things we can do to better ENJOY our lives too. We can choose activities that help us have more life in our years—for longer. We are seeing the “go-go” years stretching into the 80’s for clients who are physically active, involved with their communities, with friends and their families, and who are consistently growing and learning as they grow older.
Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (Netflix)
Travel around the world with author Dan Buettner to discover five unique communities where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.
Dan is the author of the original book, The Blue Zones and revisits these places in his Netflix special. In it, he offers up observations about common threads these communities have and how the people there are experiencing a vibrant life well into what we’d traditionally refer to as the “no-go” years. A fun and encouraging view of what is possible as we age.
The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness
The Harvard Study of Adult Development is an extraordinary scientific endeavor that began in 1938 and is still going strong (Waldinger is the fourth director, and Schulz its associate director). For over eight decades, the study has tracked the same individuals and their families, asking thousands of questions and taking hundreds of measurements—from brain scans to blood work—with the goal of discovering what really makes for a good life. Through all the years of studying these lives, strong relationships stand out for their impact on physical health, mental health, and longevity. Waldinger and Schulz boil it down simply:
“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
Living Well By Design
So much of what we do here at Mirus involves offering up ideas that are supportive of the total well-being for those we serve. We strive to help make the lives we touch easier, less complicated, and better than without us.
Some of the items shared here are resources to help you be more organized and consider the future as you get older. Others include book ideas and videos that might just spur on choices that could enhance your chances of LIVING longer and happier lives. Both are equally important—all leading to LIVING WELL BY DESIGN.
We are hopeful these resources and ideas expose you to that help better your lives in various ways—not merely in financially.
Should you have any questions or concerns about any of the items shared here, please let us know.
Behavior Matters!
Chad Parmenter
CFP®, CLU, ChFC, CDFA®, RICP®, BFA™
