HOW TO LIVE A CONSCIENTIOUS LIFE

Experts share transformative tips

Hard times can set off all sorts of bad choices: drinking, smoking, cutting ties with loved ones. These decisions and their consequences often far outlive the trials that spawned them— a drinking habit escalates or lost friends are never replaced. But there’s good news: “It is certainly possible to change your personality, and it happens pretty quickly,” says Gary Small, MD, former director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Longevity Center. Here are four things that conscientious people do automatically but others can teach themselves to do.

1

Look for a Mentor

“Spend time with friends and colleagues who are diligent and organized and who have other admirable qualities,” says Leslie Martin, PHD, a professor of psychology at

California’s La Sierra University. “Associating with people who demonstrate these behaviors can make habit-forming easier, as their tendencies influence us.”

2

Find a Purpose

“Increasing one’s maturity”

over the years is essential to maintaining good health, says Howard Friedman, PHD, coauthor of The Longevity Project. By this he means engaging in “meaningful work—work with a purpose— and doing good things for family, friends, and society.”

3

Form Deep Relationships

Don’t worry if you don’t have a boatload of friends: When it comes to bonding with others, it’s quality over quantity. “If you are an introvert with a few close relationships with supportive, healthy ties, then that can be as good as being an extrovert with many more ties,” says Friedman.

4

Stick to It

Trying all the above is easy; staying with it, not so much. This is why Dr. Small says the core element of conscientiousness is sticking with a healthy change or ambition once you’ve started it. The more people push themselves to follow through on their goals— be they easy to achieve or difficult—the more they can build up their “tenacity” muscles or stickto-itiveness.