New Year’s Resolution - Make it something that will help yourself and your loved ones!
New Year's resolutions are typically forward looking: getting finances in order, losing weight before summer swimsuit season, and getting organized at home. Why shouldn't they include documenting your intentions and wishes for the future?
Though nearly 40% of Americans report they formulate at least one new resolution at the start of the year, studies show that two-thirds of them didn’t successfully follow through. But interestingly, 76% of participants in one study believed that sharing their goals with others helped reach them.
So if you’ve been thinking about getting your affairs organized, and formulating your advance directives and making them known, here are some suggestions:
• Use the start of the year as your excuse to “Start the Conversation” about unexpected illness, accident or death with your loved ones. Tell them - and yourself - that this is the year you are going to finally take control and make important decisions and your wishes known to your loved ones. One way to introduce the topic is to start by asking THEM about their resolutions, then tell them about yours, including end-of-life planning.
• Give yourself and those closest to you peace of mind by organizing and storing all your critical information and documents in one place. And designate one or more people to have access to that place in case you are incapacitated.
• Start with a realistic goal: you don’t have to determine everything at once. But put a few things down to get started: who would speak for you if you are in a medical emergency, who you would like to get certain meaningful items you own, where you would want to be buried – decisions that most likely you’ve already made but have not communicated or documented.
For the same reason you have life, health and homeowners insurance, it’s always good to be prepared for the unexpected, and the start of a New Year is a great time to do it.
Final Roadmap is a secure, comprehensive guide that makes end of life planning manageable and affordable. The online Toolkit allows members to create, compile and safely store documents and directives - with the option to share the documents they select with the individuals they choose. Purchase one today – for yourself, your spouse, or give it as a gift to the family member who’s been ‘meaning to get organized’, and make it a terrific new year!
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