What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?

My wife started a “tradition” our first New Year’s Eve as a married couple. We each wrote down our resolutions for the coming year. That was in 2003. On New Year’s Eve in 2004, we pulled them out to see how we’d done. New Year’s resolutions are not something I would have ever done on my own, at least not in so formal a manner, but that’s just one of the countless ways my wife has broadened my horizons.

We’ve done this now each and every year for eleven years – writing our resolutions for the upcoming year and reviewing our resolutions from the previous one. And each year our resolutions always center on being better spouses to each other and better parents to our children. I love looking ahead to how I can improve in those areas over the next year. But even more, I love looking back at how well I was able to accomplish my goals during the prior year. It’s always an opportunity to reflect, learn, grow, and have an honest and intimate conversation with my wife.

This year again, my resolutions will certainly be focused on making things better for my family. And even if you’re not as formal about New Year’s resolutions as my wife and I are, I’m willing to bet one of your major goals for 2015 is to make things better for your family, too.

I can tell you from personal experience that if getting your estate planning in order is one of those things you’ve been putting off for years, you’ll feel incredible actually getting it done. It’s one of the best things you’ll ever do for your family. And believe it or not, it’s also one of the best things you’ll ever do for yourself. The sense of satisfaction, peace of mind, and accomplishment are deeply fulfilling.

I’m not telling you this simply to try to get your business. To be honest, not everyone who needs estate planning is a good fit for my firm. And my firm isn’t always the right fit for everyone who walks into my office. I don’t take every client who’s willing to pay. The right fit is much more important than money.

I am telling you this because if estate planning is something you’ve been putting off, there’s no better time than the present to take care of it. Your family will thank you (if not now, they certainly will later when they realize you’ve given them the gift of making things as easy as possible for them after you’re gone) and you will have lifted a great weight from your shoulders.

To encourage you to not only make estate planning a part of your resolutions this year, but to help you follow through, I’m offering a complimentary Family Estate Planning Session to the first five people who mention this article when making a January appointment with my office.

A Family Estate Planning Session is a no pressure, no obligation conversation designed to educate you about your options and answer all your questions. If there’s a good fit between you and my firm, great. If not, we’ll be glad to refer you somewhere that may be a better fit.

If you have a family like I do, I know getting your planning handled weighs on you each year. But it doesn’t have to any longer. Make this the year to get it done. Resolve to do it in 2015 and count it as already accomplished before the end of January. I know you’ll be thrilled you did.

Happy new year to you and yours,