After 40, It’s STANDARDS, And Not GOALS, That Matter

This article is curated by our guest author, Mr Sandeep Matthew (AFPA certified Wellness Coach and corporate leader with over 15 years of experience) 

Dr. Gabriel Lyon, a subject-matter expert on health and aging, suggests that setting standards rather than traditional goals can be more effective in achieving long-term health. The concept is akin to setting the floor than reaching for the ceiling. This matters more when it comes to maintaining health or improving performance as one gets older.

Until the age of 40, I prided myself for setting stretched resolutions on January 1 and achieving at least 6 of them by the end of the year. After 40 though, I was just not interested in resolutions.

It stemmed from being insanely exhausted taking care of my newborn. Side note: it is highly recommended to have a kid at a younger age if you feel mentally mature, or at an older age when you have the financial and societal means to afford childcare support. Having a kid anywhere in between, like I did, can be draining.

There were some other factors at play too, but I noticed that I subconsciously replaced my resolutions, aka goals, with standards. This approach shifted focus from striving to hit a one-time target to building consistent habits, and there were several benefits of doing this:

1. Standards encourage Consistency

Goals often focus on short-term achievements, like losing a specific amount of weight or reaching a particular fitness milestone. However, as Dr. Lyon says, such goals can be discouraging, especially if they are not met within a set time frame. For people over 40, it becomes increasingly important to prioritize consistency rather than chasing temporary results. Standards are behavior-based and provide more sustainable and impactful health benefits over time.

2. Standards foster a Growth Mindset

The concept of setting standards aligns with cultivating a growth mindset. Goals can sometimes result in a fixed mindset, where individuals see success as reaching a specific target and failure as not achieving that target. Standards, on the other hand, focus on the process rather than the outcome, and fosters a mindset of continuous improvement rather than one defined by success or failure.

3. Standards offer Flexibility

As people age, life becomes more unpredictable. Standards are more flexible than goals. For instance, instead of setting a goal to run a marathon, a person might set a standard to walk or engage in cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week. This allows for adaptation based on energy levels or time constraints, while still upholding the commitment to physical health.

4. Standards reduces Stress

Goals often come with a sense of pressure, which can lead to stress or discouragement if they aren’t met. Setting standards shifts the focus away from a single outcome and toward a sense of personal responsibility for one’s health. This reduces the stress that can accompany goal-setting and helps individuals over 40 feel more empowered by their day-to-day choices.

Summary

Without proactive efforts, adults can lose up to 3-8% of muscle mass per decade after the age of 40. Setting a standard like “I will engage in strength training three times a week” ensure that people are consistently taking care of their muscle health, without the added pressure of hitting a particular metric by a certain time.

It’s the behaviors, rather than outcomes, that are the key to aging well. Standards offer consistency, promote a growth mindset, are flexible with life changes and reduces stress - making them the ideal framework for health and wellness in the second half of life.