The Long Game: How to Build a Life You’ll Still Love at 80

Why longevity isn’t something that just happens - it’s something you build through daily choices, identity, and the environment you live inside.

TL;DR

• Longevity is a lifestyle, not a moment, it compounds like interest.

• Strength, purpose and community matter more than genetics.

• The habits you repeat today are shaping your 80-year-old self.

• Alcohol and distraction quietly erode the foundation.

• If you want to age well, start with the simple and repeatable.
  
  🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
  Watch me on YouTube https://youtu.be/v5USOzky7SQ
  Listen to the True From Podcast https://trueform.buzzsprout.com 

Introduction

Most people think about longevity as something that happens later, something to deal with once life slows down.

But as this week’s guest Jon Sabes reminds us, the later decades are already being shaped by our lives today. Aging well isn’t about luck or genetics. It's about design.

Jon is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and five-time Ironman finisher who has dedicated his life to studying health, purpose and financial wellbeing. Today, his focus has shifted from endurance performance to something deeper: building strength, community, clarity, and intention, so life is still meaningful at 80.

This conversation offers a reminder most people avoid:

You do not “end up” with a fulfilling older life.
You build it.

And that building begins long before you get there.

To make this practical, let’s ground Jon’s philosophy inside the Blue Zones, the regions around the world where people live longer, healthier and more connected lives. Not because of hacks, genes, or supplements, but because their environments make good habits easy.

We can’t all move to Sardinia or Okinawa.
But we can adopt the principles.

Let’s break this down into four True Form lessons.

Lesson 1: Move Naturally

What This Means

Movement is not just exercise, it’s a relationship with your body. In the Blue Zones, people don’t “work out.” They live in ways that require movement — walking, lifting, gardening, climbing stairs, doing physical work they enjoy.

Jon’s version of this is strength training + daily outdoor movement. Not for aesthetics. For future capability.

Why This Matters

Muscle is the organ of longevity. Mobility, independence, energy, confidence, metabolism, injury prevention — they all hinge on strength.

When your 80-year-old self looks back, this will be the habit they’re most grateful you built.

How to Apply It

• Lift weights 2–4 times per week.

• Walk every day — outdoors if possible.

• Choose stairs, carry groceries, move your own bodyweight.

• Don’t chase intensity, chase consistency.

Start Today:
Go for a 10-minute walk after your next meal.

Lesson 2: Purpose

What This Means

In every Blue Zone culture, purpose is clear and shared. People believe they matter. They have roles, reasons, duties and callings that anchor them.

Jon calls this the Long Game, caring about the person you are becoming, not just the results you’re chasing today.

Why This Matters

Purpose keeps you alive. Literally.
People without purpose experience accelerated cognitive and physical decline.
Purpose is protective.

How to Apply It

Ask yourself:

• Who relies on me?

• What work feels meaningful, not just productive?

• What would my 80-year-old self want me to say yes to?

Then make small, quiet decisions that align with that.

Start Today:
Journal one sentence:
“The person I want to become is someone who…”

Lesson 3: Downshift, Slow Time

What This Means

Stress isn’t the enemy; chronic, unbroken stress is.

Jon shares a scientific insight many feel but can’t explain:
As we age, our perception of time accelerates. Life feels faster. Days feel shorter. Years blur.

The solution is not to do more.
The solution is to slow the nervous system down.

Why This Matters

Presence allows memory to form.
Memory allows meaning to form.
Meaning makes life feel rich.

If you don’t slow down, you will look back and wonder where your life went.

How to Apply It

• Sauna + cold exposure (Jon’s anchor)

• Breathwork daily, even for 2 minutes

• Remove alcohol or reduce drastically

• Take phone-free walks

• Protect 30-60 minutes of quiet every day

Start Today:
Drink your morning coffee without your phone.

Lesson 4: Belonging & Community

What This Means

No one ages well alone.

In Blue Zones, community is built into daily life; shared meals, shared responsibilities, shared time. Belonging isn’t something you “schedule” — it’s part of the rhythm.

Jon puts it simply:

You can grow old.
Just don’t grow old broke and alone.

He doesn’t just mean financially broke.
He means emotionally broke and isolated.

Connection is medicine.

Why This Matters

Community:

• Reduces stress hormones

• Improves immune function

• Extends lifespan

• Protects mental health

• Creates meaning

How to Apply It

• Spend time with people who have values you admire.

• Join something; a gym, a club, a group.

• Call the people you care about, even when busy.

• Ask better questions. Stay curious. Be generous.

Start Today:
Send one message to someone you want to stay connected to.

Closing Insight

Longevity is not built in the future.
It is built now, in the smallest choices of daily life.

Strength is built one rep at a time.
Purpose is built one value-aligned decision at a time.
Presence is built one slow breath at a time.
Belonging is built one conversation at a time.

You are already becoming your older self.
Make choices today that allow them to look back and say:
“Thank you.”

🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Watch me on YouTube https://youtu.be/v5USOzky7SQ
Listen to the True From Podcast https://trueform.buzzsprout.com