If you’re in your 60s or 70s and can still do these 8 things, you’re absolutely thriving at life

Look, I’ll be honest with you. When I hit my sixties, I thought I’d feel… different. Older. More limited.

Instead, I found myself at the local park, teaching my granddaughter how to skip stones while my golden retriever Lottie chased ducks into the pond. My knees creaked a bit when I bent down, sure, but I realized something important that day: thriving in your 60s or beyond isn’t about being young again. It’s about staying engaged with life in ways that matter.

The difference between merely existing and absolutely thriving comes down to a handful of abilities that have nothing to do with running marathons or looking decades younger.

1. You can still learn something completely new

Remember when everyone said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? They were wrong. Dead wrong.

When I retired, I picked up woodworking. Never touched a chisel in my life before that. The first birdhouse I made looked like it had been through a tornado, but you know what? I kept at it. Now I’m building furniture for my grandkids’ rooms. The learning curve was steep, my fingers fumbled with unfamiliar tools, and YouTube became my best friend. But my brain adapted. It always does if you let it.

The thrivers I know are still curious. They’re taking Spanish classes, learning to paint, figuring out TikTok to connect with their grandkids. They haven’t decided their education ended at 65. Can you still pick up a new skill, hobby, or interest without dismissing it as “too late” to start?

2. You maintain real friendships (not just acquaintances)

Here’s something nobody tells you about getting older: your social circle naturally shrinks. People move away, pass on, or just drift apart. The question is, what are you doing about it?

I have a buddy who calls me every Thursday morning like clockwork. We’ve been doing this for three years now. Sometimes we talk for five minutes, sometimes an hour. Another friend and I meet for coffee every other week. We solve the world’s problems over terrible diner coffee, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Thriving means you’re not just collecting Facebook friends or nodding at neighbors. You’re investing in actual relationships. You’re picking up the phone, making plans, showing up. When was the last time you reached out to someone just to catch up?

3. You can laugh at yourself

Last week, I spent ten minutes looking for my glasses. They were on my head. Instead of getting frustrated or embarrassed, I had a good laugh about it with my wife. She’s got her own collection of these moments too.

The people who are crushing it in their retirement years have figured out that taking yourself too seriously is exhausting. They can joke about their quirks, their forgetfulness, their bodies’ new symphony of sounds when they stand up. They’ve replaced vanity with humor, and honestly, it’s liberating.

4. You’re still physically active in ways that work for you

I’m not talking about CrossFit or training for triathlons. I’m talking about movement that fits your life and abilities.

Every morning at 6:30 AM, rain or shine, Lottie and I hit the neighborhood streets. Some days we walk two miles, others just around the block. The distance doesn’t matter as much as the consistency. I’ve done this routine for years now, and it’s non-negotiable.

Maybe for you it’s swimming, gardening, yoga, or dancing in your living room. The thrivers haven’t given up on their bodies. They work with what they’ve got, adapting as needed but never stopping entirely.

5. You can admit when you’re wrong

This one took me decades to learn. Back in my 40s, my marriage nearly fell apart because I was too stubborn to admit my faults. Marriage counseling taught me that vulnerability isn’t weakness. It saved my relationship and changed how I interact with everyone.

Now? I apologize to my grandkids when I’m grumpy. I tell my wife when she was right about something I argued against. I change my opinions when presented with better information. The ability to say “I was wrong” or “I don’t know” is surprisingly powerful at any age, but especially now.

6. You focus on experiences over things

My garage is full of stuff I thought I needed. Most of it hasn’t been touched in years. But that weekend I spent teaching my oldest grandson how to fish? That trip to the coast with my wife last spring? Those memories are worth infinitely more.

The people thriving in their 60s and 70s have usually shifted their priorities. They’re not trying to accumulate more possessions. They’re collecting moments, creating memories, sharing experiences. They understand that the best inheritance they can leave isn’t in their storage unit.

7. You can still dream about the future

Who says planning stops at 70? The most vibrant septuagenarians I know are still making plans, setting goals, looking forward.

My neighbor is planning a cross-country RV trip for next year. Another friend is writing her first novel. I’m designing a treehouse for my grandkids that’ll probably take me two years to complete. We’re not done yet. We’re not just reminiscing about the past or surviving the present. We’re actively creating futures we’re excited about.

8. You’ve learned to manage stress without letting it consume you

At 58, I had what the doctors called a “minor cardiac event.” Minor to them, maybe. To me, it was a wake-up call that screamed through a megaphone. Stress was literally killing me.

Now I’ve learned the art of caring without carrying. I stay informed without doomscrolling. I help where I can without trying to fix everything. When my grandkids’ parents make decisions I wouldn’t make, I zip it and support them anyway. The world’s problems don’t keep me up at night anymore because I’ve finally understood what’s mine to worry about and what isn’t.

Final thoughts

Thriving in your golden years isn’t about denying your age or pretending limitations don’t exist. It’s about engaging with life on your terms, staying curious, maintaining connections, and refusing to become a spectator in your own story.

If you can do most of these eight things, you’re not just surviving. You’re showing everyone what it really means to live well at any age. And if you can’t do all of them yet? Well, there’s still time to start.