Want to Live Longer? Have a purpose!

People with a greater sense of purpose and direction in life were outliving their peers 14 years later. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Canada’s Carleton University compared those who said they were “wandering aimlessly through life” to those who said they considered the future in their decision making and felt they had more to do. The people with purpose lived longer, regardless of when they found that purpose. Lead author of the study, Carleton University psychology professor Patrick Hill told the Ottawa Citizen, “To have a purpose in life reflects that you have broader, lifelong goals that serve to direct and organize your day-to-day activities and things that you value.” You can find the study in the July 2014 issue of the Journal Psychological Science.