The Four C’s of Successful Aging

By Jeffrey S. Nevid, Ph.D., ABPP – Psychology Today –

When asked how it felt to be in his seventies, famed French entertainer Maurice Chevalier was reported to have said, “It is fine, considering the alternative.”

Coming to terms with aging is about considering the better of two alternatives. The challenge is not to age “gracefully,” whatever that might mean, but to age well. We can take that to mean doing the best with what we have and making the most of what we can. In my therapy practice with older adults, and having joined the older adult club myself, albeit wishing I did not yet qualify for membership, I’ve come to see the value of four key life goals as we age. I refer to them as the Four C’s of successful aging, and I find them to be a convenient guide to aging well.

KEY POINTS

1. It’s not simply a matter of how long you live, but also how well you live.
2. Successful aging is not a matter of doing less but doing more with what you’ve got.
3. Control what you can and accommodate to what is beyond your control.

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