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LIFE STARTS AT 60
Posted by Renddy Rose Rodriguez
on
4/30/2009 12:59:00 AM
For the first half of your life, people tell you what you should do; for the second half, they tell you what you should have done. ~Richard NeedhamSailing and Sex, Opera and the Olympics
- the 60 goals for over 60s
Based on feedback from more than a thousand people over 50, the list is as provides a new insight into the ambitious, upbeat outlook of older people.
Goals vary from the culinary - 'learn to cook'; 'go on a wine tasting course'; 'eat more cakes' - to the creative - 'make a scrapbook of childhood'; 'learn to play a musical instrument'; 'take up painting'; 'design a garden'.
As well as experiences such as 'go to the London 2012 Olympics', 'see an opera' and 'see the Northern Lights', more energetic aspirations include 'have more sex' and even 'run a marathon'.
Thoughtful goals for later life include 'telling someone you love them everyday', 'becoming a volunteer' and 'spending more time with the family'.
And among adrenaline rush fantasies such 'hang gliding', 'swimming with dolphins' and 'taking flying lessons' - there's the literally hair-raising 'grow a beard'.
The list is unveiled ahead of the first ever 'Generation Xperience: UK Older People's Day'.
The day is a celebration of the achievements and contribution that 20 million people over 50 - our 'Generation Xperience' - make to the UK.
It also seeks to highlight the opportunities available to the over 50s by challenging common misconceptions of 'later life', 'retirement', and indeed what it means to be 'older'.
The day also coincides with UN International Day of Older People and the first anniversary of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations that made it unlawful for employers to discriminate against someone because of their age.
Dr. Aric Sigman, leading psychologist said: "Far from fulfilling age-old stereotypes, this list of 60 personal goals highlights how people are expecting more from older age, in terms of both the opportunities that are open to them and the things they want to accomplish and contribute to society.
While some ambitions might be firmly rooted in fantasy, this age group has many goals that are about achieving a sense of purpose and self-fulfillment. It's great that later life is approached with such a sense of optimism."
Below, you will find a list of 60 goals for over 60s published by the Generation Xperience. Which of them would you like to accomplish?
Based on feedback from more than a thousand people over 50, the list is as provides a new insight into the ambitious, upbeat outlook of older people.
Goals vary from the culinary - 'learn to cook'; 'go on a wine tasting course'; 'eat more cakes' - to the creative - 'make a scrapbook of childhood'; 'learn to play a musical instrument'; 'take up painting'; 'design a garden'.
As well as experiences such as 'go to the London 2012 Olympics', 'see an opera' and 'see the Northern Lights', more energetic aspirations include 'have more sex' and even 'run a marathon'.
Thoughtful goals for later life include 'telling someone you love them everyday', 'becoming a volunteer' and 'spending more time with the family'.
And among adrenaline rush fantasies such 'hang gliding', 'swimming with dolphins' and 'taking flying lessons' - there's the literally hair-raising 'grow a beard'.
The list is unveiled ahead of the first ever 'Generation Xperience: UK Older People's Day'.
The day is a celebration of the achievements and contribution that 20 million people over 50 - our 'Generation Xperience' - make to the UK.
It also seeks to highlight the opportunities available to the over 50s by challenging common misconceptions of 'later life', 'retirement', and indeed what it means to be 'older'.
The day also coincides with UN International Day of Older People and the first anniversary of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations that made it unlawful for employers to discriminate against someone because of their age.
Dr. Aric Sigman, leading psychologist said: "Far from fulfilling age-old stereotypes, this list of 60 personal goals highlights how people are expecting more from older age, in terms of both the opportunities that are open to them and the things they want to accomplish and contribute to society.
While some ambitions might be firmly rooted in fantasy, this age group has many goals that are about achieving a sense of purpose and self-fulfillment. It's great that later life is approached with such a sense of optimism."
Below, you will find a list of 60 goals for over 60s published by the Generation Xperience. Which of them would you like to accomplish?
60 GOALS FOR THE OVER 60s
1. See the world / 2. Learn computer skills / 3. Buy a sports car / 4. Write a book / 5. Learn a new language / 6. Start a new business / 7. Swim with dolphins / 8. Take up a martial art / 9. Go on a cruise / 10. Learn to play bowls / 11. Set up a website / 12. Buy a holiday home / 13. Learn to dance / 14. Go fly fishing / 15. Do a parachute jump / 16. Free the family from debts / 17. Take cookery classes / 18. Go on safari / 19. Learn to play a musical instrument / 20. Have more sex / 21. Learn how to ski / 22. Design a garden / 23. Spend more time with the family / 24. Bungee jump / 25. See a West End show / 26. Go hang gliding / 27. Take up yoga / 28. Go back to school / 29. Go hot air ballooning / 30. Socialize more / 31. Become a volunteer / 32. Learn to meditate / 33. Win the lottery / 34. Go rally driving / 35. Sell up and live abroad / 36. Take up painting / 37. Go horse riding / 38. Own a boat / 39. Go to the opera / 40. Raise money for charity / 41. Make a will / 42. Go on a wine-tasting course / 43. Watch more football / 44. Go to the London Olympics / 45. Break a world record / 46. See the Northern Lights / 47. Be a game/quiz show contestant / 48. Take flying lessons / 49. Grow a beard / 50. Tour the UK / 51. Family photo shoot / 52. Play a round of golf on a world famous course / 53. Teach grandchildren to read / 54. Scrapbook your childhood / 55. Tell someone you love them everyday / 56. Eat more cakes / 57. Run a marathon / 58. See grandchildren get married / 59. Read more books / 60. Start up a band.
Source: http://www.a2mediagroup.com
Focus on vocabulary
1. insight - understanding of what something is like
2. upbeat outlook - positive and enthusiastic attitude to life and future
3. thoughtful - showing that you think about and care for other people
4. hair-raising - extremely frightening but often exciting
5. unveiled - shown or presented for the first time
6. to challenge a misconception - to refuse to accept a belief or an idea that is not based on correct information
7. to challenge a misconception - to take place at the same time
8. self-fulfillment - the feeling of being happy and satisfied that you have everything you want or need
Focus on vocabulary
1. insight - understanding of what something is like
2. upbeat outlook - positive and enthusiastic attitude to life and future
3. thoughtful - showing that you think about and care for other people
4. hair-raising - extremely frightening but often exciting
5. unveiled - shown or presented for the first time
6. to challenge a misconception - to refuse to accept a belief or an idea that is not based on correct information
7. to challenge a misconception - to take place at the same time
8. self-fulfillment - the feeling of being happy and satisfied that you have everything you want or need
Focus on talking
• Are you afraid of getting old? Why yes/not? Which aspect of aging would be for you most difficult to deal with?
• How do you imagine your life when you are sixty? What will your usual daily routine look like? What kind of activities will you be involved in? What will you spend most of your time on?
• What will you be like as an old person?
• Do you think it is more difficult to stay young in mind or body?
• What does “aging gracefully” mean to you?
• Do you think life of the elderly people is easier now than it used to be? Why yes/not?
• Do you think young people in your country treat the elderly with due respect?
• Are you afraid of getting old? Why yes/not? Which aspect of aging would be for you most difficult to deal with?
• How do you imagine your life when you are sixty? What will your usual daily routine look like? What kind of activities will you be involved in? What will you spend most of your time on?
• What will you be like as an old person?
• Do you think it is more difficult to stay young in mind or body?
• What does “aging gracefully” mean to you?
• Do you think life of the elderly people is easier now than it used to be? Why yes/not?
• Do you think young people in your country treat the elderly with due respect?
PHOTO CREDIT : www.inmagine.com/bs087/acr121-photo
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