Bryant died of a heart attack 28 days later, just one day after passing a routine checkup.

It’s shouldn’t surprise anyone that a new study shows if you want to keep on keeping on, you have to have a reason to get up in the morning.

Find your purpose

The study of 1,238 adults—an average age of 78 when the study began—was conducted by Dr. Patricia Boyle, a neuropsychologist and assistant professor of behavioral sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. She and her colleagues found that study participants who reported a greater level of life purpose were half as likely to die during the nearly three-year follow-up period as those with a lower level of purpose. Those who described themselves as having more purpose were less likely to die even when the researchers controlled for such factors as depressive symptoms, disabilities, and chronic medical conditions, Boyle says.     

Lengthen your life

Another study conducted with retirees older than 65 found that those who engaged in volunteer work had less than half the risk of dying during a four-year follow-up period than those who did not volunteer. But, Boyle says, her findings indicate that the purpose doesn’t have to be large or demanding. Just committing to, say, finish reading a book series or complete a craft or handiwork project can be enough to keep someone going just a little while longer.