By: Susan M. Graham, Certified Elder Law Attorney, Senior Edge Legal, Boise, Idaho
Some days I carry 8 pennies in my left pocket. Why? To remind me to drink plenty of water each day. The idea is – I want to drink 8 glasses of water each day. That is water…not coffee, soda, wine or lemonade – just plain water. When I finish a glass of water I move one penny from the left pocket to the right one. At the end of the day I can give myself a gold star for being successful or be reminded to try again tomorrow. I have noticed when I really do drink 8 glasses of water I feel better but without my pennies it is hard to keep track.
Why am I sharing this with you? We all can use a little help to stay on track. There is too much to remember in this “information age.”
I recommend you set up an easy system to stay on top of your affairs. One example: every time your birthday comes around, make the time to look at your health power of attorney, financial power of attorney and other planning documents to see they are current.
I know you think you have time to do this later.
Today, I learned a client died in a car accident over the weekend. The last time I saw him was 12 years ago. He nominated a “lady friend” to handle his affairs with another friend as a back up. The family started calling our office to know what to do. The phone number we had for his friend was no longer in service,. We found out the “lady friend” has married some one else and no one knows where she is. That is just the start of the problems.
If he had reminded himself to look at his papers annually it would be so much easier to handle his affairs in the way he would have wanted.
What type of “pennies” can you put in your pocket to keep you on track?
