I recently realized something shocking– that at age forty-four, there’s a very good chance I am at my mid-life point (if I’m lucky).

The good news is that there are plenty of things I can do NOW, while I am still fairly young and healthy to create a happy, healthy life for my future. This is the time to get positive habits in place! 

7 Ways to Create Your Future Happiness

1. Take Time to Reflect: Do you ever feel like you’re running from thing to thing… even the stuff you really WANT to be present for? It can leave you feeling exhausted and emotionally drained. Instead, schedule yourself some time to hit the pause button and reflect on how you’re spending your time and if it makes sense for you. You only get one life, right? It’s important to slow it down and make sure you are on a path that makes sense for you. 

2. Put Pals on Your List of Priorities: If you’re like me, hanging out with friends is the first thing to go when your schedule gets too full. Not okay! Maintaining close relationships is essential to people at every age. If you let your friendships slide now because you’re swamped, your pals may not be there down the road when you DO have time to spend with them. Make sure you are seeing your friends– even if it’s for coffee once a month– and keep those connections strong.

3. Spend time with a Pet: Pets are such a meaningful addition to our lives. It’s such a gift to have a being in your life that adores you unconditionally. Spending time taking care of… and playing with a pet can bring your blood pressure down and keep your worries at bay. Pets love to have ALL of our love and attention and focusing on them means you aren’t stressing about other things. I love my daily walks with my golden retriever, Sophie. I know spending time with her brings my blood pressure down and gives me an overall sense of well-being.

4. Create Family Traditions: Imagine yourself as the wise elder of your family– what family traditions would you hold dear? All family traditions start somewhere. You can make your own! Why now spend a day ice-skating and sipping cocoa in the winter and jumping in the lake the first day of summer? Traditions don’t have to be tied to a holiday… they can just be fun ways to celebrate life. Make traditions now that you can relish long into the future.

5. Follow Your Passion: What do you LOVE to do? Whether it’s baking, painting, tap dancing– whatever… JUST DO IT! It’s like the expression says… life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. Follow your passion NOW, so as you age gracefully, you can continue to learn and grow and improve your skills!

6. Learn Something New: We’ve all seen those stories on the news… learning something new is good for the brain. You don’t have to be “good” at it, the pressure is off.  Just adopt a “beginners mind” and lose yourself in trying something new. Learning new things is a great habit to start now and practice as long as you live.

7. Laugh as Much as Possible: Don’t take everything so seriously. Let yourself laugh more, it always feels good! Seeing the glass half full, keeping a joyful, light hearted attitude can help keep you feeling positive and happy– both keys to a long and wonderful life.

• Get Old is an initiative developed by Pfizer  to challenge people of all ages to rethink what it means to Get Old and take a more active role in their health and quality of life at every age.  Whether it’s through watching what you eat, physical exercise, spending time with family and friends or participating in an activity you’re passionate about — each of us has the power to decide for ourselves how we want to Get Old. It’s not just about living longer, but living better.

• What are you doing to Get Old well? Tells us at GetOld.com and join the conversation on Twitter.com/GetOld and Facebook.com/GetOld.  

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by Pfizer and Get Old. I received compensation for this post. All opinions stated are my own.