#1 Reason People Don’t Estate Plan

Money.  Nope. #10

Time. Nope.  #3

The #1 reason people don’t plan is denial.

Denial

According to At Home Nursing Care, denial is the #1 reason people don’t plan.

I can’t say it better myself:

Denial came up as #1 to avoid estate planning.   Few younger people want to face the idea that they could be here one day, gone tomorrow, whether due to accident or illness.  Older individuals tend to be better prepared, but that doesn’t mean they’re willing to talk about their end of life wishes, such as how much medical intervention they desire and when to access in-home care or assisted living options.

Just What is Denial?

According to the Mayo Clinic, denial is a coping mechanism that can be harmful.

But denial has a dark side. Being in denial for too long can prevent you from dealing with issues that require action, such as a health crisis or a financial situation.

Overcoming Denial

Denial is hard to overcome and takes time.

The same article recommends these action items to overcome denial:

• Honestly examine what you fear.
• Think about the potential negative consequences of not taking action.
• Allow yourself to express your fears and emotions.
• Try to identify irrational beliefs about your situation.
• Journal about your experience.
• Open up to a trusted friend or loved one.

5 Steps to Overcome Denial

Care2 offers these helpful tips:

1. Even without acting, accept it. This includes acknowledging the issue or potential issue and also accepting that you feel unable to face it. If you are scared, accept that. If you are hurt, accept that. If you have absolutely no idea of how you are going to fix it, accept that. All you need to do is look at the situation, acknowledge what’s happening and acknowledge how you feel. That’s it.
2. When you are in denial, it’s easy to isolate yourself or to want to save other people from the burden of dealing with your issues (after all, it’s much more manageable when you have others to assist you). Sometimes even just sharing your problem with other people can help. Admitting that you don’t know what you are doing or what you will do can help you to feel like less of an imposter. Instead of using that energy to fake being okay (which is absolutely exhausting), you can use that energy to tackle your problems.
3. You need all the energy you can get to deal with your situation and the negative thoughts will only block you from being able to think of and execute solutions. Even if you are completely at fault for your situation, still treat yourself with decency and respect. Stay away from negative self-talk, even if it seems deserved.
4. At some point you definitely need to deal with how you got yourself into this situation, but what’s more pressing and important right now is how to get out of it as best you can. Think about how you can make things better instead of worse. Think about the ways in which you can be a person that you respect in dealing with your problem. Also consider the consequences and effects that your solution will have.
5. It may take a long time before you feel better about your situation or get it resolved. In some cases, you may not even be able to fix it completely, but focus on improvement instead of perfection.

Think About Now

Don’t think about estate planning as then, but now.  Concentrate on your values and remember you are expressing love and value for your family.  Planning doesn’t change who you are.

The post #1 Reason People Don’t Estate Plan appeared first on DeWitt Law Firm, PLLC.

from DeWitt Law Firm, PLLC http://ift.tt/2bxucBP


from DeWitt Law Firm, PLLC