6 Simple To Do List Items Before You Die

You’re dying. No, no, it wasn’t a question. We all are. And while it’s uncomfortable for people to talk about death, taking the necessary preparations makes your death easier on your loved ones. We’ve complied the top activities you need to accomplish before you die. They’re not always the flashiest items on the bucket list, but they make the process smoother for your loved ones after you’re gone.

1. Write a Letter

Sometimes it’s easier to put pen to paper. Consider writing letters to the loved ones in your life. Take a quiet moment to find the words that best describe how you feel, the impact they had on your life or things you want them to know about the relationship you shared. You can send the letters now or put them in a special place to be distributed after you’ve died. Or, if you want something a little more new-school, record video messages. Keep the files on thumb drives in the same spot you keep all your other important paperwork so that it can be distributed after your death.

Before writing a letter, sitting down with your loved ones to have a meaningful conversations can help reacquaint us with our loved ones and help us get to know them in a new way. Learn how to start these conversations.

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2. Make a Phone Tree

One of the most difficult tasks after the death of a loved one is notifying family and friends. Consider this in advance: Who needs to be notified, by whom and when? Think about this in the context of your relationship with your loved ones. You may want to make a notification tree or “call tree” to map out the people you’d like to be notified, so the person responsible for communicating the news has a good starting point.

Having these logistical and professional discussions about end of life can give families important insights they can use to remember and honor the lives of their loved ones. Learn More.

3. Leave the Details

Don’t go without leaving the Netflix password — or, more importantly, all the information for insurance policies, investments, bank accounts, social media accounts, email, mortgages and utilities. This information is sensitive, so compile it in a document and store it on an external flash drive that you keep in a safe. Oh, and don’t forget to give someone the combination to the safe.

Have the Talk of a Lifetime funeral professionals can offer families more practical advice and tools to help them decide how their loved ones hope to be remembered for generations to come.

4. Make Important Memories

What legacy will you be leaving behind? What moments will your loved ones remember? As you enter the second inning of your life, take opportunities to create new family traditions or memorable moments that your loved ones can look back on fondly. The key here is simplicity and authenticity — moments can’t be manufactured. Maybe it’s an activity that you haven’t had the time to do together in ages or a vacation destination you’ve always daydreamed about. Spend the quality time with family and friends and maybe take a selfie or two. Look back through your family history for something you can pass down (for instance, a favorite lullaby or family recipe).

Exploring and talking about our memorialization helps us reaffirm to our loved ones the memories we’ve shared and how much they have impacted our life.

5. Know Your Resources

Funeral planning is just like any other aspect in life…when you don’t know something, ask an expert. Whether you are preplanning your own funeral or a loved one’s, you both can and should work with a funeral service professional to ensure you are aware of all your choices.

Have the Talk of a Lifetime, program created to encourage loved ones to have important conversations that can lead to a better understanding of how a person’s life can be memorialized in a meaningful way, has tools on their website to connect you to a nearby funeral planning expert within your community. Planning ahead for this inevitability can help to alleviate stress and the financial burden for loved ones.

Memorialization is so much more than it used to be. Today it can reflect a person’s life story, values, interests and experiences. Find out how your life story can be remembered and honored in a meaningful way.

6. Don’t Procrastinate

When it comes to preparing for death, we often feel the urge to put it off till tomorrow. The luckiest of us live long, full lives, but the truth is that death often comes suddenly or in unexpected ways. Tomorrow isn’t promised, so have your conversations today. For more tips, techniques and conversation starters, visit talkofalifetime.org.

Having the Talk of a Lifetime can take place at any time, not just at the end of life.

This content was provided by Funeral and Memorial Information Council. Kiplinger is not affiliated with and does not endorse the company or products mentioned above.