New Year's Resolutions

Without fail, and with each calendar turn, January introduces the concept of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s also the time of year where gym memberships spike, diet commercials inundate the media, and most of us set a few unrealistic goals of things we’d like to make happen overnight. But in place of these unattainable goals dictated by an arbitrary date, abrupt lifestyle changes, or vision boards to look back on with a sense of failure, why not create a short list of priorities that are deeply impactful to your life and circumstances, and can easily be checked off your list for a true sense of accomplishment?

At the very top of my list of suggestions, which should come as no surprise, is to create an estate plan. After the 2020 that we experienced, it’s mind-boggling that so many adults are currently living without a will. According to some estimates, as many as 2 out of every 3 Americans lack a will or any estate planning documents. (Gasp!) Not having your plans on paper is a risky endeavor at best, which doesn’t allow for peace of mind or offer a sense of security for your loved ones. Luckily, for creating a will, unlike “couch to 5k in a day”, there is a quick, no-gimmicks fix. Pick up the phone. Meet with your estate planning attorney. It’s a truly simple process that prepares you for whatever the future may bring (which, we hope is a long and prosperous life). If you’ve been waiting on this, I encourage you to prioritize your estate plan by putting it high on your to-do list for 2021. So, by all means, learn a new language, work on that beach bod, take control of your finances, but please, don’t forget about your estate plan as we welcome this Year of the Ox. If not now, when?