Norman Lear died at 101—here's his No. 1 piece of advice for a long, fulfilling life

Norman Lear, producer of some of America's most popular television shows, has died at 101. Mostly known for his comedies, the long list of shows he created include "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons" and "Sanford and Son."

Lear continued to work right until the end.

A couple years before his death, journalist Steve Lopez interviewed Lear about retiring, or rather not retiring, for his book "Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement from Some Who've Done It and Some Who Never Will." 

Lopez told CNBC Make It last year that Lear had some interesting advice for living a long, fulfilling life.

"[Lear] said life is about that little space between what's over and what's next," Lopez said. "What happened yesterday is over. Yes, he created "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" and produced movies and has done, like, 60 years of breakthrough television, but it's over and he's not sure what's next."

The advice echoes what many centenarians credit for their longevity: staying active.

'I enjoyed working'

Madeline Paldo, 100, retired this year. She worked at her family's business from ages 18 to 99, and said working was a contributing factor to her long life.

"That kept me busy, and I enjoyed working," Paldo told CNBC Make It about her former job. "Retirement, I don't like too much."

Keeping her job allowed Paldo to interact with customers, her favorite part of the working.

"I liked being with the public. I liked being with people," Paldo said. "And I was the only one in the office that did all of the office work for our business, so it was enjoyable. I liked to go to work."

Centenarian Jayne Burns said at her 100th birthday party that her one wish was "to keep working." Burns had the same part-time job as a fabric cutter at Joann Fabric and Crafts store in Mason, Ohio for 26 years.

"I enjoy what I do, so I want to keep doing it," she said. "I'll work for as long as I can or as long as they'll have me."′

Experts agree that continuing to stay active in some capacity is one of the keys to longevity. In Japan, the phenomena is called ikigai, which loosely translates to "the happiness of always being busy."

Whether it be working, volunteering, or playing pickleball, having something to look forward to seems to contribute to living a long, happy life.

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