New Year, New Goals - January Newsletter

For many of us, the new year is an opportunity to reflect on what we want to achieve in the year ahead. I have noticed that for many of my clients, the concept of goals or things they want to achieve is foreign. I presume this is largely a generational difference, but I also think we don’t place as much importance on wishes or ambitions as we age.

If anything, the later years of your life is full of time to achieve new things. Maybe your loved one has always wanted to paint or has always hoped to holiday on the Yorke Peninsula. Maybe they want to join a choir or start volunteering for a local charity. The possibilities are endless.

For this reason, the theme I’ve chosen for January is

“New Year, New Goals”.

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It is widely documented that having a sense of purpose in life promotes healthy ageing. A sense of purpose helps to regulate stress responses, reduces disease risk, fosters resilience, self-regulation and positive emotions all of which promote positive mental health and support cognitive function. Read HERE and HERE. On a practical level, it just makes sense to me. If an 87-year-old wakes up in the morning, immediately notices their aches and pains and has no plans for the day, it must feel incredibly challenging to convince yourself to get moving. On the flip side, if they wake up knowing they’re going to meet their friends at chair yoga or finish the puzzle they started, it instantly gives them a greater sense of motivation or anticipation of fulfilment.

Having worked with hundreds of ageing Australians, most are baffled when you ask what goals they have. ‘Stay alive’ is a popular response. But as you get to know people, know what lights them up and where their true interests lie, I believe everyone can have goals they want to achieve. These don’t have to be grandiose, expensive ideas like travel across Canada on the Rocky Mountaineer. They can be small simple goals like:

- Get back into pottery

- Holiday at local caravan park

- Attend their granddaughter’s graduation

- Knit beanies for the local hospital’s premature babies

- Cook their neighbour a meal each week

- Read a book a week

- Visit their sibling interstate

- Attend a local football match

Depending on your loved one’s hobbies and abilities, you will be able to tailor together a short list of goals they want to achieve. Often even a simple goal like ‘attend a local football match’, can then be broken down into smaller goals.

If your loved one isn’t very mobile, you could use this as an opportunity to encourage them to do some physiotherapy in the lead-up to increase their mobility getting in and out of cars. You could do a pre-match scope out visit to plan the most accessible entry point. They might get in touch with family members to borrow a scarf or beanie for their favourite team. Any small goal can be built out into many additional actions – each one giving them a sense of purpose and then accomplishment.

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I encourage you to sit down with your ageing loved one and ask them what they want to achieve in the next 12 months. Once you have identified some goals, start mapping out and booking in time to work towards it. If you can, encourage them to do as much of the planning and preparation as they are capable of. The more autonomy the better.

And remember, if it doesn’t go to plan or come to fruition, that’s also okay. Don’t let it dissuade you or them from making new plans. Reflect on why it didn’t work, adjust expectations and go again. It doesn’t have to be perfect every time ☺️.

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As always, please feel free to pass this newsletter on to friends or family. If they want to subscribe, they can do so via my website.

If you want to have a look through some old podcast episodes, you can search for ‘The Truth About Ageing’. I release episodes sporadically which are available through your favourite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) or at

www.navigateagedcare.com.au/podcast.

Occasionally I also post updates on socials, which you can find at:

Facebook - @navigateagedcareau

Instagram - @thetruthaboutageing

Thank you again for being part of the Navigate gang.

Big love,

Kate.