Guest Post By: Naomi Johnson
With each passing year, you might find yourself spending more time thinking about your legacy. Your legacy can encompass more than an inheritance - it can also refer to the positive impact you want to leave on the world. If you need guidance as you consider your legacy, Angelina Carleton Legacy Planning can help you consider how you hope to influence others and what steps you can take to achieve these goals. Furthermore, here’s how to hone in on your personal core values, figure out specific actions that will allow you to leave the legacy you’ve envisioned, and organize any crucial legal documents involved in the process.
Define Your Core Values
Your legacy is all about instilling your values in the next generation. In order to do this, you need to spend some time thinking deeply about your values first. To discover your true values, Psych Central recommends writing down some of your peak experiences when you felt most “alive,” thinking about day-to-day tasks that stir up positive emotions for you and the ways in which you already share your love with others. You’ll build your legacy plan around these values.
Prepare to Pass on Your Wisdom
Now, you’ve realized which values you want to pass down in the long run - but how can you go about this? You’ll need to create an action plan. For example, if you care deeply about animals and the environment, you could volunteer with a conservation nonprofit or start your own. Ultimately, there are countless ways to pass on your values - SeniorAdvisor recommends considering volunteer work like becoming a mentor, a museum docent, hosting an exchange student, or fostering animals.
Take Specific Actions
Soon, you’ll be ready to take action on building the legacy you want to leave. This might mean getting in touch with specific local volunteer organizations, starting work on a creative project like a memoir, or meeting with an estate planning attorney to determine to whom you will leave your assets. You can break down your overarching legacy goals into smaller chunks so that your objectives don’t seem intimidating.
Set Up Essential Legal Processes
Your legacy is much bigger than your financial portfolio and your material possessions. However, deciding what you would like to do with these assets is an important aspect of legacy planning. You will need to choose specific beneficiaries. Keep in mind that these beneficiaries do not necessarily have to be family members or friends. For instance, you might also want to leave certain antique belongings to a museum, or you may want to leave some of your financial assets to a particular charity or nonprofit organization.
Keep Your Documents Organized
As you navigate the legacy planning process, it’s important to ensure that all of your relevant estate planning documents are organized and easily accessible to the people who will need them in the future. If you’re unsure of how to categorize your paperwork best and keep it secure, you may want to consult with an estate planning attorney.
To save yourself and your loved one’s time in the future, you can combine your most important documents into one file. If you have a goal to combine PDF files, you can turn to an Adobe tool to merge your documents.
Figuring out the kind of legacy you will leave is a burning question for many people, especially as they approach retirement. Determining your answer is a deeply personal process. With these tips, you’ll be ready to get clear on your unique values, take actionable steps to cement your legacy, and ensure that all of your paperwork is in order for your beneficiaries.
Ready to embark on your legacy planning journey? Turn to Angelina Carleton Legacy Planning! Book a coaching session through our website today to get started.
*Naomi Johnson founded lifebasedbusiness.net to support small business owners and individuals pursuing creative endeavors, guiding them to build careers that align with their desired lifestyle. Her website provides practical tips and inspiration, empowering others to adopt a life-based business mindset and transform their lives for the better.