Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what would happen if I were to pass away today… Would my family know how to contact my job? Could they log into my financial accounts? Would they know what belongs to my son?

When I was younger, death was something I never thought about. To me, I’m going to practically live forever, but then again that’s something that isn’t up to me. I can do my best to make sure I stay healthy, strong, and to avoid danger, but ultimately it’s up to the universe when we come and when we go. Witnessing people die at a young age has reminded me of this.

So many people are so focused on living, as they should, but they forget to prepare themselves and their families for tragedies. That tragedy doesn’t have to always include death. Some of us can become ill or get into an accident that leaves us immobilized. Do we even have a plan for those instances? I know I don’t and that needs to change.

The first step is accepting that death is inevitable. It could happen today, tomorrow or 40 years from now. No matter the case you have to accept that is going to happen and you need to prepare for it.

Here are some steps you should take when getting yourself and family prepared for your passing :

• Make a Living & Last Will
  • You’ll be able to make your wishes clear to everyone without the family trying to challenge them. You can express what you want after you pass away or become ill, but without a legitimate will there’s no way of telling if your family will follow those wishes.
• Sort Out Finances/Debt
  • In the will you will be able to list how finances will be split, but what about those retirement plans, checking/saving accounts, insurance and other investments be accessed. It’s important that you create a spreadsheet (password protect it) and also keep a password book, so your family can have access to these accounts and be able to reach out to the right people.
  • Also note any credit card debt or loans that are still active.
• Keep Important Documents Together
  • This includes passports, birth certificates, list of assets, social security number, instructions about your funeral, etc.
• Assemble Your Digital Life
  • These days everyone has some sort of presence online. Any account you’ve created (social media, email, etc) gather your login credentials and write out what you want done with these accounts.
• Funeral Arrangements
  • Trust me, I know that no one wants to plan the end of their life celebration, but in the end it will make life easier for your grieving loved ones.

Also communication is a big key in preparing for your death. I know it’s scary, but it’s important.