Once upon a time I ran a marathon. It was about twenty years ago, and I have a framed poster from the race hanging in my home to remind me that I really did run 26.2 miles. The training wasn't hard; it was just very time consuming. I thought that marathon would be the first of many, but health issues interrupted my subsequent training, so I decided to run shorter distances-much shorter. Now I am getting urges to run farther-maybe not another marathon but certainly a respectable “long” distance. However, I am noticing a few changes from my marathon days. I can still add a couple of miles to my longest distance, but I pay for it the next day. More than one extra mile, and I am hurting big time. So I am learning to run smart, planning when and how far I will run. My runs are now much more fun.

WHAT WE KNOW

Just as running smart makes it easier to run farther and better, living smart makes it easier to live longer and better. Live Smart After 50! The Experts' Guide to Life Planning for Uncertain Times written by thirty-three life planning and positive aging expert members of the Life Planning Network offers guidance about how to plan and live well in the second half of life. Facing major life transitions such as retirement, moving, loss, and financial changes can feel overwhelming and make it difficult to choose wisely. It is easy to put off addressing the big issues of this life stage and leave the future to chance. One Harvard Business School study found that eighty-three percent of adults had no goals. The seventeen percent of adults who did have goals were ten times more likely to achieve self-described success.

Having no goals will not get you the life you want. There is a better way, and that is life planning. According to the Life Planning Network life planning:

1. Is purposeful thinking about your future
2. Does not assume that things need to stay the same unless you want them to
3. Looks at new possibilities that may fit your life now that perhaps didn't before
4. Begins with knowing yourself-values, strengths and motivations
5. Then, based on this self-knowledge, helps you explore options, making choices and setting specific goals, while staying open to the unexpected

By creating a roadmap for your life, you are able to live by design not default.

LPN identifies specific benefits of life planning.

1. By bringing things into clearer focus, life planning provides an opportunity to step back and look at the big picture. It can shift understanding and open the door to new possibilities.
2. Planning helps identify and reduce legal, financial and other risks, thus easing anxiety and elevating confidence.
3. Preparation expands choices by putting more options on the table.
4. Planning creates the opportunity to “make your own luck” because you have a framework for determining if unexpected surprises that come your way are right for you.

WHAT WE CAN DO