Sally Field's Plan For Turning 80 Might Be The Cheat Code To Winning At Life

Sally Field doesn't want much for her 80th birthday on November 6. When USA Today asked her whether she had a celebration planned for the milestone birthday as of May 2026, she joked that she wanted to scale Mount Everest. The "Steel Magnolias" star then honestly replied, "No, I don't have any plans for anything except getting through today would be good. And tomorrow might even be nice." Field's wise words are a reminder about the importance of staying in the moment and approaching each day with gratitude and optimism. 

Living in the moment can benefit mental health since it can alleviate stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. To give an example, when we choose to live in the moment, we might be able to take a step back from anxiety-inducing and depressive thoughts and realize they are only thoughts and don't always reflect our current reality. During Field's interview, she also stressed the importance of living in the present. "Your life experience changes, and if you're calling on old things, it's going to be pretty rote," she shared. "You always have to be in the now. You always have to find something that is alive in you at this moment." 

Field's decision to be grateful and optimistic might also bode well for her. Research has shown how practicing gratitude can improve your mental health by reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Being optimistic can also benefit mental health in similar ways. In fact, optimism is one of the five personality traits that might help you live longer, according to experts.

During Sally Field's May 2026 appearance on "Today's Sunday Sitdown," she confirmed that she wasn't losing sleep over her legacy, saying, "I don't even think about it. I really think about what's next. And will there be a next, you know?" But that doesn't mean that the "Mrs. Doubtfire" star has no ambitions for the eighth decade of her life. 

Elsewhere in the show, Field said her dream has remained unchanged for decades: to be an actor. She added, "As I get older, and I'm months away from being 80, to find the roles of 80-year-old women is my dream." However, when Field spoke to Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her "Wiser Than Me" podcast in March 2024, she acknowledged that it is difficult to find roles that honestly represent the stories of aging women and aren't just centered around their quest for love. 

Field's grapples with the industry went beyond a lack of realistic representation, though. In a March 2016 NPR interview, the Emmy winner said she finds it odd when people deem her "brave" for embracing aging naturally. While admitting she dislikes several parts of her body with age, she said she also knows the marks of aging are a reminder of her resilience. Then, she made it clear that she isn't about to let Hollywood's ageist notions bring her down, as she stressed that the wisdom she has acquired over the years can't be found in younger people. Field shares this belief with several other celebrities over 50 who absolutely love the process of aging.