It is never too late to begin planning

Most of us know that we have to start exercising; we have to send out those thank you mails; we have to put our finances in order and do other not urgent but important work. But for some reason we don't get around to do it and a common excuse is that we just don't know where to begin.

I happened to read a book on life planning which in a very candid manner showed where to begin. It said, begin with where you want to end. To better understand this, try this exercise now - imagine this is the most important day of your life. All your friends, your closest family, your extended family, your neighbors, friends of your children, your colleagues and a few acquaintances have all come visiting. The room is well decked up in flowers and pleasant aroma envelopes the place. There is silence except for a few whispers here and there and you are in the middle of the room - peacefully lying inside a coffin. That moment, that day what would you like your spouse to be saying about you? What would you like your children, your friends, your colleagues to be thinking about you and the part that you played in their lives?

Now, don't hurry and go on reading. STOP here and think about it. How would like to be remembered?

If you are done, step back and see whether whatever you are doing now and however you are behaving right now, will it get you there? Based on how you are carrying yourself around, do you think you will be remembered the way you would like to be?

This exercise to me was redefining, mind numbing and earth shaking. It helped put a lot of things in perspective. It actually made sense to start with the end in mind!

... contd.

ALSO READ

McAfee to buy firewall Stonesoft Oyj for $389 mn

Cobrapost accuses Reliance Life, Tata AIA, Yes Bank, Birla Sun Life of money laundering

Muthoot Capital Services net profit up 40%

Simplification can cap Saradha group-type chit fund, Ponzi scheme cons: Institute of Cost Accountants