Last Updated on January 25, 2026 by Michelle
Habits that last decades isn’t an easy task as you don’t have a crystal ball. Yet, it’s easy if you think about habits you can’t argue about liking, for example weight training 3 times a week and reading 1 page a day.
That’s all there is to it, nothing crazy or big. Having said that, most habits are designed for motivation, not longevity.
They’re built for who we want to be right now—
not for who we are becoming.
But well aging asks a different question:
Will I still want this habit in 20 years?
Why most habits don’t age well
Many habits are rooted in pressure:
- doing more – instead do less but for longer
- pushing harder – push less so you can do for longer
- fixing ourselves – don’t fix but improve bit by bit
- keeping up with others – keep up with yourself instead
They rely on willpower, intensity, or urgency.
And those don’t scale well across decades.
What works at 35 often feels rigid at 55.
What once felt disciplined can start to feel demanding.
Well aging habits that last decades requires a different design philosophy.
Habits as a form of self-leadership
Habits that last decades are not about control.
They’re about how you lead yourself daily.
Self-led habits:
- respect energy
- adapt to seasons
- don’t require self-criticism to maintain
Being your own role model means choosing habits you can live with, not ones you have to endure.
The long-view question that changes everything
Instead of asking:
“Is this effective?”
Ask:
“Is this sustainable?”
“Does this make me happy?”
“Would I want to carry this into my 60s and 70s?”
Habits that last decades are designed for well aging and prioritize continuity over intensity.
Habits that age well are flexible, not rigid
Rigid habits break under life.
Flexible habits evolve with it.
Habits you’ll still want in 20 years tend to be:
- adjustable
- forgiving
- rooted in self-trust
They allow for travel, illness, joy, rest, and change.
They don’t punish inconsistency.
They invite return.
That’s leadership—not perfection.
Energy is the true metric
A habit that looks good but drains you won’t last.
Well aging habits protect:
- physical energy
- emotional bandwidth
- mental clarity
If a habit requires constant force, it’s borrowing energy from your future self.
Habits that last decades means you need to design habits that give more than they take.
Yeoyu: the habit of spaciousness
Yeoyu (여유) is inner spaciousness.
And it might be the most important habit of all.
Habits that support yeoyu:
- leave margin in your day
- allow rest without guilt
- don’t crowd your calendar or body
A life with yeoyu ages better because it’s not always bracing or rushing.
Examples of habits that last decades
These don’t look impressive—but they endure:
- moving your body in ways you enjoy
- eating simply and consistently
- walking regularly
- sleeping sufficiently without apology
- reflecting daily
- protecting quiet time
- choosing fewer but energy giving commitments
They’re ordinary.
And that’s why they work.
Being your own role model across time
Being your own role model isn’t about doing the most.
It’s about modeling a life you’d want to grow older inside.
The most important part of Being Your Own Role Model is ‘Your’. What you want is not the same as anyone else’s. In a converse way, anyone else’s priority is not your priority.
Habits as an aging strategy
Well aging isn’t about optimizing every year.
It’s about not burning yourself out early.
When habits are designed with compassion, flexibility, and foresight, aging feels less like decline—and more like refinement.
You don’t need habits that impress.
You need habits that stay for you and bring you joy over and over again.
And those are the ones you’ll still want in 20 years.
As mentioned in an earlier blog, it is mathematically better to get 1% better everyday and hence compounded rather than getting 20% better once and not sustained.
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