Good Leaders: Are you making plans to live past 90 years?

In 2015, the American Sociological Society did a study that determined something really amazing. They answered this question: What is the #1 predictor that someone today will live past 90 years?  The answer: they believe they will.

No kidding. Funny to also note that far less than half of the US population believes they will live past 90.

I guess I’m lucky I have role models: My grandmother lived until 103, and my father-in-law, Richard Moen, just turned 90. I believe I will live past 90 years… so I’m taking care of myself and making plans for forty more good years! How about you?

Special Father’s Day Celebration

The week of Father’s Day this year, Richard Moen celebrated his 90th birthday. He is my wife Melinda’s dad who’s enjoying life as a father to three girls, grandfather to nine, and great grandfather to another seven. He has three siblings still with us – two over the age of 90, and one soon to be.

You know the subject of this blog for the past few weeks has been The Bucket List Book. It’s a quick, life-changing read about the power of aspirational thinking on life and leadership. So what’s on Dick’s Bucket List?

To answer that question, it’s important to know that Dick still drives himself to and from Arizona in the winter time. And he plays 18 holes of golf – riding in a cart – at least once a week. He walks most every morning, and can still do the calisthenics he learned in grade school physical education.

The Bucket List

So back to his Bucket List. Like so many others we interviewed… he prefers to keep what’s on his Bucket List private. Since out-living his wife of more than 60 years, some of those unfulfilled items are hard to talk about. We can only assume these things are on his list today:

Play golf again next week. Attend his grandson’s wedding in July. Spend the week with the family at the lake in August. Celebrate Christmas with the family. Drive south to Arizona this winter, and return home to repeat the cycle again.

As we’ve learned from the American Sociological Society research: the most important factor in living long into the future is believing that you will.

So why not work on your Bucket List?

You can still register here to receive free sample chapters of The Bucket List Book. And you can order your copies of The Bucket List Book here. The hard covers of the book began shipping this past week. What fun!

Good leaders believe their life will be long and prosperous. And they look forward to more good days ahead.

Send a birthday wish to Richard A. Moen.