I cherish the month of January because after years on this planet it’s become written in my DNA—while September feels like a fresh start after years of schooling (mine and my now adult kids), January offers a unique chance to reflect on the past, celebrate successes, and gain wisdom from challenges so that I can recalibrate my personal compass and set a clear path for the journey ahead.
This year I’m stretching my imagination beyond the immediate horizon. What does vibrant wellbeing look like, not just this year, but in 2035 or even 2050? This isn’t idle daydreaming—it’s strategic visioning for a remarkable opportunity we’ve never had before. This is future-proofing our lives. Why am I called to a longer, wider view this year?
Consider this: Modern medicine has gifted us an extraordinary 30 additional years of life expectancy over the course of little more than a century. Yet our roadmap for living these bonus decades remains stuck in the past, failing to capture the purposeful, energized lives that are now possible.
Traditionally, we’ve followed a life map with three predictable junction points:
- Starting Point: learn, explore who we are, set up for our future.
- Midway Point: find the ‘one’ partner, raise an ideal family, build the ultimate career.
- End Point: retire, travel, spend time with grandchildren, decline.
That may be our default mindset, but it isn’t an accurate reflection of how we are experiencing the journey of our lives. Our longer lives take us on exciting journeys that are planned or take us off-road. The problem is that we lack the tools we deserve to help guide the way to get us back on track. If you have been a reader of Chip’s Wisdom Well blog, you know that life isn’t a linear journey—it’s a rich, complex adventure that defies such rigid categorization. This outdated roadmap not only misses the mark; it actively constrains our potential.
Here’s the revolutionary truth: Of those 30 bonus years, about 20 transform what I call “Middlescence”—around the ages 45 to 65—into an unprecedented opportunity for growth and reinvention. Whether approaching this phase, immersed in it, or carrying its wisdom forward, you are part of the first generations charting a course for a new narrative.
If roughly 20 of these bonus years have created Middlescence, what of the remaining decade-plus? I call these the “Trophy Years”—the culmination of a life well-lived. Unlike any other achievement, reaching these years with independence, energy, joy, and purpose represents life’s ultimate victory. Imagine yourself not just surviving but thriving during this pinnacle phase.
Designing this expanded journey from Middlescence through our Trophy Years, is new, good work. What choices will unlock our full potential across these precious additional decades so we can clarify what is important today as a starting point and take it into a vibrant future?
Introducing: The Longevity Roadmap™
Unlike the rigid constraints of a protocol life, the Longevity Roadmap™ offers a refreshing alternative to one-size-fits-all wellness rules. I’m thrilled to be launching this initiative at MEA in March—we have some workshop spaces left in Baja and I’d love for you to join me.
The Longevity Roadmap™ workshop will help you identify and focus on what truly matters, creating a sustainable lifestyle that serves you for decades— filled with the people, causes and experiences you’ll cherish most.
The time has come to honor your past choices while intentionally designing your vibrant future, ensuring that health, purpose, and vitality illuminate every precious year ahead. Hope to see you in March.
-Barbara
Barbara Waxman is a highly sought-after gerontologist, coach, and longevity advocate who has been studying the art and science of aging for more than 40 years. As creator of the Longevity Roadmap™ and founder of The Odyssey Group, she leads people to design a highly personalized approach to aging well, helping them create lives that are as vital and meaningful as they are long. One of MEA’s original faculty members, Barbara also serves as an Advisory Council Member for the Stanford Center on Longevity and Stanford Lifestyle Medicine and is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.