#52 - Helping Your Family Starts With One Small Action—Not a Resolution
Reluctant Executor News
I've said it before, New Year’s resolutions are just another form of procrastination.
This is the time when many of us look back on the past year and tell ourselves that we are going to make changes… Starting next year.
Why do we wait for an arbitrary day to start doing things that we've identified as a priority? Yes, a new year symbolizes a fresh start, a clean slate. But January 1st is also just one of 365 days each year. And if Julius Caesar had selected a different day to start the year when he reformed the calendar in 45 BC, we might be looking at the new year starting in March.
What do New Years resolutions have to do with helping families through the administrative chaos after a death? Many families tell me that they know they should plan ahead and document their important information. They want to ease the burden on their family, and they know that sharing this data will be a huge help.
But they look at the task and see that it's going to take some time. It's going to be emotional. It's going to be overwhelming. It's going to be hard. So they put it off.
Even families that download the Reluctant Executor Estate Map template have only done preparation. This is a great first step, but it is not the same as diving in and getting to work. This is similar to buying running shoes, but never going on your first run.
So what can you do? Open the Estate Map file and start filling it out. Add things that you already know, like your name, phone number, home address, and some financial accounts. Small, actionable steps turn into large accomplishments. You get in a rhythm. It snowballs. And all of a sudden you see how good it's going to feel to get this major project off of your plate.
But don't wait until January 1st! Start tonight with a small, actionable, easy step. You'll be glad you did.
Building Your Estate Map
One of the first overwhelming tasks I had with Reluctant Executor was creating the video series, "Building Your Estate Map." It was always the next thing that I was going to get to. After putting it off for what seemed like months, I dedicated a small portion of each day to take actionable steps on this project. It snowballed. I spent more time on it. I could see the finish line. And when I published it, I had a sense of relief and excitement. Relief that I accomplished this task. Excitement that Reluctant Executor had another resource to help families.
If you need some guidance, at your own pace, on why it's important to complete your Estate Map, check out the Building Your Estate Map course.
If you need more personal guidance, schedule a meeting.