Contributed by Cindi Pearce, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru

Face it: You are going to age.

Some people age better and more successfully than others, and it’s not a matter of who has the best plastic surgeon, although it may be the outcome of good genetics or a great attitude.

Here are the top 10 tricks for successful aging and eventually riding off into the sunset with a satisfied, smile on your lovely aged face:

10. Die

Die young. Not a good option? Then proceed ….

9. Invest in renovations

If there’s something that you really, really, really hate—your teeth, your toenails, your hair, your belly, your house or your yard or your life—take the bull by the horns and invest some time and money in repairs and renovations. Transformation is good. You have probably spent the better part of your adult life making sure that your children and everyone else’s needs have been met, putting your wants way down on the priority list. It’s okay to indulge oneself. You’ve paid your dues, now treat yourself. However, if your life is sheer misery because of a multitude of factors, a facelift or manicure or a new house isn’t going to fix it, but it may produce a slightly better brand of misery.

8. Be adventuresome

Try something new and challenging and get the adrenaline going. Have an adventure. Go to the North Pole, China or South America. Yes, it might scare the heck out of you but go for it anyway. Imagine how cool it will be if you actually accomplish your mission impossible. Yep, Grammy certainly DID parachute out of that airplane. Go ahead and boast! The naysayers will argue that you’re crazy. Stop worrying about what other people think. Undertaking challenges is a great way to keep your brain stimulated and a stimulated brain is a healthy brain.

7. Stop bad habits

Try like mad to eliminate your bad habits, and you know what they are. Stop smoking; stop drinking too much booze; stop eating so much crud. Back off on the caffeine. If you can’t quit altogether then cut back. You’ve got to start somewhere. The older you get the less leeway you have. You can’t overindulge like you did when you were 20. It takes its toll.

6. Embrace your age

Decide to like being the age that you are and quit fretting over it. Nothing is going to turn back the hands of time. Embrace your age and the time that you have left.

5. Be passionate

Be passionate about something. Stay engaged. If you love your job or have a hobby that gets you out of bed in the morning or a relationship that is delightful, this is like a tonic for your soul. Passion, curiosity and enthusiasm are going to keep you young at heart. Enjoy being an old broad or dame or dude. Youth isn’t everything.

4. Sex

Keep doing it. It’s good for you. It’s good for your partner. It’ll make your skin glow. Buy something attractive to go to bed in. If he wears boxer shorts, get him some trendy hot briefs. Who said that only the youngsters should dress sexy for each other?

3. Baby your skin

Seriously. Take 10 minutes every day to clean, tone, exfoliate, moisturize and protect (SPF) your skin with high quality anti-aging products. Your skin will thank you.

2. Laugh

Laughter is the best medicine. Instead of getting your insides twisted up over something that you have virtually no control over, change your perception and thought processes and find a way to laugh at the absurdity of life. Don’t be so damned serious all the time. Get a kick out of life instead of letting life kick you. And if it does, kick back!

1. De-stress

Stress is a killer. It is not only a literal killer (and producer of heart attacks and strokes), but it is deadly on your appearance. Stress produces lines, wrinkles, lackluster skin and dark circles and bags under the eyes. Stress eats you up from the inside out and at some point becomes very evident on your exterior. No amount of high-end make-up can cover it up. You get the picture. It doesn’t matter how well preserved you are or how great your hair looks or how beautiful your veneers are if you are stressed and not dealing with it, it is going to show. You are going to go to an early grave, not looking your best. Do something about it. Stop the stress in its tracks before it eats you alive. You may not be able to stop or change the circumstances that are causing your stress, but you can choose to deal with the stress differently. Take time for yourself. Get enough sleep. Exercise because it does help. It may not be the panacea, but it is certainly going to make you more relaxed and feel better, and you can stop gnawing your teeth in your sleep and biting your nails during the day. Try doing yoga. Meditate. Take a walk.