OODA Loop

OODA Loop.
Stands for…observe, orient, decide, act.
Observe your surroundings and where you fit in.
Orient yourself so you can best benefit.
Decide to take some action based on observing and orienting.
Act on your decision.
It works for business, relationships, aging, decision making, goal setting, and life.

Here’s how it works for aging: you observe people who are aging well. They move well, they are alert, they have energy, they still like to do silly things like play on the monkey bars, they engage in interesting conversations. That would be conversations that do not revolve solely around the doings of their grandchildren.
Surprise. There is more to life than grandchildren.

Hang out with people who are aging well. They won’t be dwelling on their age. That’s orienting yourself by surrounding yourself with people you want to emulate, to be like them. That, instead of people who complain constantly and are searching for good nursing homes to live out their lives.

Decide that you will be someone who ages well. Your brain believes anything that you tell it, so tell it something that allows you to become the person you would like to be.

Act on that decision. This is the tricky one. People decide to do something all the time, but fail to act on it. You must act to complete the OODA loop. Stop that silly conversation in your head that says you cannot do things because you are getting old.

Keep repeating the OODA loop, adding more information, making more choices.
That’s Aging Intelligently.

Here’s a thought: you cannot do things you did as a child because, well, you haven’t practiced them in a while.
Get out there and try swinging from the monkey bars. There is something to be said for silliness that infects your whole being.
And allows you to stay young.