Recently, a friend of mine has been deeply affected by a car accident that killed a good friend of hers. The person was a mother of 3 children and the husband travels often for work… the impact to that family is absolutely earth-shattering. The result? My friend and others around her have been very focused on "continuity" and making sure that things are spelled out and obvious if something were to happen to them.
One of the organizers on our team worked with someone recently whose husband passed away suddenly. He had done everything around the house and she knew NOTHING about how to manage by herself. She was dealing not only with the stress of his death, but the additional stress of deciphering all of the details of their lives. Yet another friend had a freak mountain biking accident a few months ago and had to be care-flighted and spent a few days in ICU.
There are all kinds of implications to being "hit by a bus," so to speak. We talk about how part of our definition of being organized means being Ready for Anything. What would happen to you and your family if you suddenly were incapacitated, hospitalized, or killed? No, I am not a life insurance salesperson by any means, but here are some things to think about from an organizing perspective:
- Does a significant person in your life know where to find your passwords and account numbers?
- Does someone know what bills need to be paid and when, and any other specifics about your finances?
- Do you have a will and a designated guardian for your children?
- Does your business have written procedures in place? Is someone cross-trained to cover your job?
- Is there a safe-deposit box or fire safe that someone should know about? Where are your life insurance policies and your will located?
- Do your close family members know your wishes about burial, organ donation, life support, etc?
Sorry to be a "bummer" or "morbid," but this is real life stuff. I hope that something I have said here will cause you to make some relatively simple changes. Why not have a conversation this weekend with someone about these questions? Start an emergency binder or file folder with crucial information and tell someone where it is. Get your ducks in a row so you can swim along happily knowing that your loved ones and co-workers will be able to manage without you. Doing this may even make it easier for you to simply go on vacation! What steps will you take this week?
This is so important to think about – I went through a similar problem with my parents when my father died suddenly. As uncomfortable as it can be thinking about your (or a family members) death.
Since then, my mother has taken great steps to plan and make sure that all the important details are written down and that we won’t have to worry when she is gone.
I have to admit, it was weird talking to her about that, but I take comfort in knowing that all the details are cared for… by her!
Thanks for this very important post. Any of us who have been suddenly taken ill or injured or have been diagnosed with cancer can tell you that life can turn on a dime. I have been self employed for most of my life and have had several setbacks due to injury or illness that almost cost me my business. After a cancer diagnosis I chose to close a business to concentrate on other things. It is so important to have your information easily accessible and available. People need to know what you want and also what to do if you’re gone. You also need to know what to do for the other people in your family, friend circle, etc. So many people ignore this very important piece. A friend died recently of cancer and although she knew she was dying she never wrote a will even though she had a very significant estate. She didn’t like thinking about it. Everything she worked so hard for was supposed to go to her sister but much of it went to the state instead. It also got held up for months when all sorts of medical bills, mortgage, etc. all had to be paid each month by family members who could barely afford it. She was so organized in other areas of her life it was totally shocking that she ignored this important task and then it was too late. It’s worth the peace of mind it will bring to have these things in order. It doesn’t take long though it’s weird to think about. For me, it was freeing. For now I am healthy but I feel like I’m ready and that I’ve left things in good order for my family no matter what happens down the road.
My husband is always teasing me about my list-making. We recently went on a trip to Canada. I printed out from the computer a 3 page list of everything I packed for our family for the trip, including kitchen items for the bare-bones condo we’d be staying in. I packed the car and off we went on our vacation. The night before we were to return home I was in an accident and rushed off to the hospital. My husband and stepdaughter had the job of packing up all our stuff from the condo, and deciding what belonged to the condo and what we’d brought from home. My lists helped them immensely. When we returned home and I was too “out of it” to do my usual duties getting the kids off to school, there was a list on the refrigerator I’d pinned up at the beginning of the school year. It explained the kids’ schedules, so my husband knew which day each kid needed gym clothes, to return their library books, to attend scouts, etc. Those lists he’d teased me about were suddenly his lifesaver. He says he’ll never tease me about being organized again.