My name is Lynn Lambrecht and I welcome you to The Living Planner!
I will begin this blog with a question: Have you given any thought to what your loved ones will be faced with or need to “do” after you transition from life? Organizing your life is one thing, organizing your transition from life, is quite another.
What do I mean by under the “Tip of the Iceberg”? When you see the tip of the iceberg, did you know that 7/8ths of the actual iceberg is below the surface? An iceberg is massive, yet a quick glimpse gives us only a tiny bit of it’s actual form and total size.
From my experience, I have found so much underneath the surface of our lives that we don’t see on a daily basis. There are numerous areas requiring focus preparing for your transition: physical items; people to contact; business, financial, legal and health care considerations and yes, your final wishes/funeral plans. The analogy for me is this – the Tip of the Iceberg relates to living our daily lives; Under the Tip of the Iceberg is the organization of your transition from life.
Time is always a consideration for all of us with crazy schedules and demands from work, home, family – I understand this. Yet, did you know the average person spends an average of 100 minutes per day online – browsing, buying, on social media? Or that the average person spends an average of 2.8 hours per day watching TV? Or that men and women exercise over one hour per day? Or that employed adults living in households with no children under age 18 engaged in leisure activities for 4.5 hours per day, about an hour more than employed adults living with a child under age 6? This was new information to me, an eye opener! Thanks to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website!
I cite these statistics as an example of how we invest our time. I’d like to ask you now to consider investing time in organizing your transition from life, now, while you are living.
You might be asking, “why”? Why should I invest time in this manner?
I’ve had unique experiences that have influenced me deeply. As a volunteer emergency team responder, I’ve assisted families directly impacted by major aviation incidents. As a daughter and a friend, I’ve elected to assist my family and friends during and after a loved one transitions from life. I’ve seen first-hand the impact of the loss of a loved one. I’ve felt the pain of confusion experienced when people don’t know where to locate information, don’t know about certain accounts, are not sure who to call to ask about retirement benefits, or where to submit death certificates.
I am passionate about this topic, as I believe the time after the transition of a loved one is needed for grief, for remembrance of the loved one, for healing, rather than not knowing where or if certain documents exist or if decisions had been made. It is a stark reality that daily life changes dramatically after someone transitions from life. What a gift it is when information is compiled, decisions made and communication occurs while we are living. If this seems overwhelming or feels like not a priority, you are not alone.
The Living Planner was born from my desire to create awareness and inspire people to take action while they are living to make it easier for their loved ones after they transition.
There may come a time when you prefer to work one-on-one with someone, or have someone come into your organization for a workshop to get you started. I offer one-on-one consultations and workshops.
Contact me if you wish resources and support to help you devise a plan to organize your transition from life. Lynn@thelivingplanner.com
Look for additional information about how to think, plan and organize your transition from life in my coming posts. Until then!
May you live life fully,
Lynn