Why Being Selfish is Important

Your wishes are not selfish. Pretending you don't have any doesn't make you selfless.

I think one of the reasons people struggle with advance planning is that they are uncomfortable putting their own wants and needs at the centre of the conversation.

How they want to be supported.

Who they trust to make decisions on their behalf.

What they want protected.

How they want their organisation, family or legacy to continue when they no longer lead it themselves.

Somewhere along the way, we have learned to treat these conversations as awkward, indulgent or something we can leave for another day.

But what happens when other people are left to make decisions without knowing what matters to you?

They have to guess.

They have to interpret your wishes through their own beliefs, preferences and understanding of who you are.

And even when they love you deeply, they may not make the decisions you would have made for yourself.

You cannot expect people to honour wishes you have never communicated.

This matters whether you are leading an organisation, protecting the future of a family business or making decisions about your own end of life.

Advance planning is not about controlling everyone from beyond the grave.

It is about taking responsibility for the information, wishes and decisions you can clarify while you are here.

You get to have preferences.

You get to have boundaries.

You get to decide what matters to you.

And you get to make those things easier for the people who may one day be asked to carry them forward.

You do not need to wait until something happens to start having the conversation.

Your life. Your wishes. Your responsibility to communicate them.

If you believe the people and things you care about deserve thoughtful preparation, this is the work I want to help you do.

If you would rather leave everything to chance, this probably isn't your conversation.

And that is your choice.

But please don't confuse avoiding the conversation with having a plan.

To get started or review your advance planning, you can start at your own pace through The Legacy Reset: a 30-day online micro-programme that helps guide you through a daily email, a short video, one task, and a wrap up audio. Each day should take no more than 15 minutes to review and 15 minutes to action. To learn more check out https://www.livinglegacy.ie/legacyreset