RESOLUTIONS THAT CAN HELP YOU AGE BETTER THIS YEAR

If you're aging—and who isn't?—even small habits can have a profound impact on your current and future well-being. That's true whether you're 25 or 75.

- BY ANGELA HAUPT

“For the majority of us, genetics will explain about 20% of our aging,” says Nathan LeBrasseur, director of Mayo Clinic's Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging. “Thinking about your trajectory of aging and how you can influence it, starting as early as possible, can make a difference in your year ahead regardless of your age.”

Choices in key arenas can determine whether you're thriving or merely surviving as you get older. As you think about what kind of resolutions you want to set for better aging, prioritize those that are both specific and measurable, LeBrasseur advises. (Simply pledging to “be healthier” won't get you very far.) It's also smart to ease in, rather than overhauling your routine overnight.

We asked experts which New Year's resolutions they recommend setting for successful aging.

BEGIN EACH DAY BY LISTING WHAT YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR

Looking on the bright side is one of the best longevity practices. “People who are optimistic have a good social life, a strong sense or purpose, and better health habits—and the opposite is also true,” says Dr. Alan Rozanski, a cardiologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai who studies how mindset influences health.