How Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) Affect Health, Independence, and Caregiving
What are Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), and why are they important? Uncover their impact on health, identity, and the strategies that support them.
Life isn’t waiting. Aging doesn’t slow its pace, and those dreams and connections we set aside for “someday” don’t wait forever. If there’s one thing aging teaches, it’s that we should start living fully now, in each day, with the people and goals we value most.
Time has a curious way of slipping by unnoticed. One minute, we’re young and have decades stretching out before us; the next, we’re caught in a whirlwind of birthdays, watching the years tick by faster than we’d ever thought possible. It's almost funny, isn’t it? One day you’re twenty-something, convinced you’ll live forever, and then somehow, in what feels like a single blink, you’re sixty, wondering where the time went.
If you’re reading this, I’m not here to offer regrets or tell you about things you should’ve done differently. Instead, I’m here with a gentle but pressing reminder: whatever you’re hoping to do, stop waiting. Life is happening, not later, but right now, and there’s an urgency to live it before time slips further.
Aging is a process that seems to happen both all at once and so slowly we almost miss it. One morning, you’re brushing your teeth and you catch a glance in the mirror. The reflection looking back seems a little different—a little softer around the eyes, a bit more worn in places. The face is unmistakably yours, but it’s changed, and not just from yesterday.
The odd part is, inside you’re still you. That’s the truth about aging that no one tells you: the mind, the heart, they don’t really age in the same way. You feel the same dreams, the same sparks of excitement. But that reflection is a reminder that, like it or not, life is moving along. And recognizing this doesn’t mean losing hope or dwelling on limitations; it means realizing that our bodies may change, but our desire to live fully doesn’t have to.
Here’s the thing about “someday”—it has an unfortunate tendency to turn into “never.” We save our dreams for later, waiting for that mythical moment when things will line up just so. We tell ourselves that once we’re more settled, once the kids are older, once we’re promoted or finally organized, then we’ll start to live the way we really want.
But “someday” is a habit, a comforting but hollow word. If you have dreams or long-held wishes, they’re not meant to live in the distance. Start small, if you need to, but start. Don’t let perfect timing be the enemy of beginning. Dreams aren’t waiting for “one day” any more than time is waiting for us. Even one small step—whether it’s setting aside a few minutes each day to learn, create, or explore something new—is a beginning, and beginnings are what life is built on.
We live in an age where contact is easy, but connection can feel distant. It’s common to put off calls, visits, or even heartfelt conversations, assuming we’ll get to them eventually. “They know I care,” we think. “I’ll reach out soon.” But that “soon” has a way of stretching on, and the weeks become months, then years.
Relationships are living things, not unlike dreams; they need tending. Maybe there’s a friend you haven’t seen in years, or a sibling you only check in with on holidays. Don’t wait for a reason to reach out. Send a message, schedule a coffee, or even just share a memory that makes you think of them. Often, we assume our loved ones know how we feel, but the truth is, life is too short for unsaid words. If you’re thinking of them, tell them. If you miss them, show up. You won’t regret it.
With age comes a shift in what really matters. In younger years, we’re drawn toward tangible markers of success—career titles, financial milestones, achievements to add to the resume. Yet as time passes, the idea of success grows softer, richer. It becomes less about what you own or what you’ve done and more about the lives you’ve touched, the kindness you’ve shown, and the peace you carry.
Ask almost anyone who’s lived a while, and they’ll tell you: the most meaningful successes are rarely visible. They don’t show up in paychecks or applause. Instead, they live in the quiet, personal moments—helping a friend in need, being there for family, creating memories that linger long after. If you’re still chasing external success, know that real satisfaction often comes from what you can’t put a price on.
How do we live fully in the now, without letting “someday” steal our days away? Start with gratitude. Practice noticing the small things that make today worth living—birds in the trees, a quiet cup of coffee, a good laugh with friends. These moments are small, but they’re the building blocks of a life that feels rich and present.
If there’s a hobby you’ve let fall by the wayside, pick it up. If there’s a conversation you’ve been putting off, have it. Life is lived not in grand gestures, but in these small, conscious choices that remind us to be here, now. Find joy in whatever you’re doing, not because it’s glamorous or Instagram-worthy, but because it’s yours. And if you find yourself waiting, ask yourself: what for?
Time is the one thing we can’t reclaim. It passes whether we use it or not, slipping away quietly, steadily. But while we can’t control time, we can choose how we spend the moments we’re given.
So if you have something you want to do, or a person you want to reconnect with, stop waiting. Pick up that old dream, call that friend, take that small step. Because life is shorter than we think. But that, perhaps, is what makes it so incredibly precious.