When it comes to life after 60, happiness and positivity are often hard to find. It’s easy to look to external sources of our problems. We might blame someone else for our financial difficulties. Or, we may curse our “bad luck” for having to deal with an illness, divorce or other challenging situation.

On one level, blaming external sources for your problems is natural. The problem is that it is also futile. First, if we are honest with ourselves, our challenges seldom come completely from the outside. Second, and most important, even if we are the victim of bad luck, the only thing that we can change is ourselves. Blaming an outside force is like trying to win the lottery by wishing for good luck.

To Get the Most from Life After 60, Reframe Blame

Now, I’m not saying that you should start blaming yourself for your problems. Quite the opposite. I am arguing that you should abandon the concept of “blame” all together and focus, instead, on taking proactive steps to make your life better.

What is one problem that you are facing that you tend to feel helpless to fix?

Take a few minutes today to sit down and brainstorm one tangible thing that you could do to improve the situation.

You don’t have to take a big step. If you feel powerless to change your weight, start by committing to a 10 minute walk every morning. If you are worried about money, try writing down everything that you spend money on for the next week.

No matter what challenges you are facing, you will accomplish more by helping yourself than blaming the world.

What is one thing that you want to change about your life this year? What do you love most about life after 60? What tangible step are you going to take today to move yourself in the right direction? Please join the conversation below.