As Baby Boomers age, 70 is the New 50, 60, or 65?
If 50 is the new 30, and 60 is the new 40, then 70 is the New What? As baby boomers (born 1946 to 1964) have aged, how we see turning a certain age as also changed. Now, more and more of us are turning 70, and the ongoing denial of time is more difficult. Unsurprisingly, science is rushing to the rescue.
Brett Arends of Marketwatch reports that 70 is the new 60. After 50 Living says 70 is the new 50. BBC News says 70 is the new 65. These conclusions are based on increased longevity, new work trends, different healthcare options, and higher life expectancies. There are caveats, and the optimistic health projections are not equal.
As Mark Twain recommended, “Get your facts first, then distort them.”
I think 70 is the new 70: a time for working on your health and the health of your relationships; and a time to accept your mortality and appreciate the precious time remaining.
I have had the honor of working with may clients on their wills and trusts while planning their estates, and I have seen much good come from a person finding meaning an motivation for changes when time is short. Someone facing a terminal illness is given both a heavy burden and a chance to change things that many don’t receive: they see the time remaining with sharp clarity.
Good luck boomers (me too); enjoy each passage. However you define “70 is the New ____ ” for you, I hope it holds true for you and that you can keep old age waiting. After all, in 10 years, you’ll only be 60.
