Projects are a wonderfully simple way to stay active and productive in later life.

A project gives you a mission, something worthwhile to improve, create or learn, without requiring a rigid routine. It gives shape to your time, invites you to solve problems and creates the satisfying feeling that you are making progress.

A key part of what makes projects great for us as we get older is that they can be kept light. They are not open-ended commitments. You can try an idea, change direction or put it aside if it no longer interests you. There is no harm in abandoning a project that has run its course. That freedom is part of what makes projects so easy to take on.

One of the easiest places to find a project is in your immediate environment. There may be something in your home that needs repairing, a neglected corner that could be improved or something in your neighbourhood that could be made more useful.

Fixing it can become a rewarding project in itself. And if it affects a shared space, such as a bench, planter, noticeboard or community bookshelf, it can become a reason to bring people together.

A few willing hands, a clear mission and a visible result can turn an ordinary repair into a satisfying community project.

This week, look around you and notice what could become your next project.

This free downloadable guide from Repair Café International covers the practical side of gathering people to repair: finding a venue, inviting volunteers, organising tools and keeping the day manageable. Use it as a playbook for a single refurbishment afternoon; there is no need to create a permanent Repair Café.

Fix something as a project.

Think of something in your home or neighbourhood that you would like to see repaired or improved.

It could be a broken household item, a neglected bench, a tired planter, an untidy shared corner or a community noticeboard that has seen better days.

Make a simple plan for what needs to be done, then think about who you could ask to help. Choose a day to get started and invite them to join you.

Keep the mission simple: take one thing that needs attention and leave it better than you found it.

Nonno repairs a damaged piece of plasterwork using the patient, practical skill he has built over a lifetime. It is a lovely reminder that experience is valuable when it is shared — and that a repair can be an act of care.

Projects are one of the simplest ways to stay active and productive. I always try to have a few projects up my sleeve, whether it is a business idea, an event or simply something new I want to explore.

May your projects keep you curious, connected and moving forward.