A “super ager” is a person in their 80s or 90s who has the mental and/or physical capabilities comparable to those who are decades younger. Super agers tend to live longer and may still be running marathons and winning at Scrabble every time.
Neuroscientists are discovering that super agers have less brain cell loss than their same age counterparts who are not as physically or mentally active. In layperson’s terms, this means that super agers literally have heavier brains because they have more neural connections than most.
From the coaching perspective, what fascinates me most about super agers is not just their amazing capabilities, it is their attitude toward challenges. Super agers enjoy taking on challenges and intentionally try new things that are out of their comfort zones.
I work with two neuroscientists to teach coaches how to apply brain science into their coaching sessions. One of my neuroscientist partners, Dr. Kelly Kent recently said something in one of our meetings that really stuck with me.Dr. Kent said that one of the main factors that help people become super agers is their mindset toward problem solving. When things get tough while trying to solve a difficult problem, super agers choose to persist while most others choose to quit.
Our brains have the capacity for unlimited growth when we intentionally take on challenges and deliberately practice and learn from our mistakes.
I am proud and happy to see that my parents are exemplifying some of these super ager qualities. While they are only in their early 70s, they continue to tackle new challenges and push themselves out of their comfort zones.While they had no idea what Zoom was a year and half ago, they now Zoom like a boss with their church friends regularly.
My mom is curious about technology and now uses Youtube as much as her granddaughter. She keeps an active social circle of friends and challenges herself to tackle new songs in her church choir.My dad continues to go on fishing adventures with his friends and often traverses rocky terrain to find new fishing spots (to my mom’s dismay of course). He too is familiarizing himself with technology and taking Yi Jin Jing exercise classes using Zoom.
While there is still a lot of research to be done to further dive into what makes a super ager a super ager, there are some clear discoveries that we can learn from now.
You don’t have to be super human to become a super ager.You need to intentionally be super willing and open to take on challenges out of your comfort zone, make and learn from your mistakes, and choose to persist when others quit.
As you pursue your personal and professional goals, what’s possible for you if you approach them with the mindset of a super ager?
Karin
Excellent observations!