Just because one is getting on in years, there's no reason to avoid undertaking a task that may seem rather daunting. Examples that come to mind are: stopping smoking, writing a short story, losing 20 pounds, learning Tai Chi, becoming a Hospice volunteer, and so on. Apart from the material results obtained, you will benefit enormously from the sense of achievement, as well as from the new relationships formed and the fun you have had in the process.

Here's a 12-step guideline for getting to where you want to be:

1. Make sure you really want to take on your self-imposed project - or that you really need to do it.
2. Do a reality check - is your project realistically possible?
3. Put it in writing - make and sign a written contract with yourself.
4. List all the advantages that will mount up when you've finished the job
5. Take inventory of your present status in the area of your project - are you at ground zero, or do you have some background knowledge?
6. Decide on a deadline for when you want to be finished.
7. Identify any obstacles you can see in the path to completion of your project, and work out how you will tackle them if they arise.
8. List your material needs for completing the job - e.g. supplies (books, clothing), equipment, transportation - and how you intend getting them.
9. Identify the human support you may need - individuals, groups, and institutions. Are they available?
10. Next, make a more detailed plan, with a time-line and one or two checkpoints along the way.
11. Develop a mental picture of your goal - visualize yourself thinner, your story published, a Tai Chi certificate award ceremony, as may be.
12. Now, begin! Use your mental picture should you feel your determination or persistence weakening.

Setting a goal and achieving it are all part of a positive mental attitude (PMA), an attribute shared by numerous older people who have found the secret of a happy, healthful old age. If you haven't got a PMA, you can develop one, particularly by working with others in the same boat. Look for possible sources of help in your neighborhood (including your Internet neighborhood - explore the links below).