Do you want to regret not creating an aging plan when your window of opportunity has passed? If you don’t plan in time, then regret may be where you find yourself. This regret could be for yourself or those you love.
Why should we all plan for aging?
Two reasons: control and timing.
You may not have looked aging in the face, made eye contact with the reality. If you haven’t, then you may not realize that you have options for control along this journey. Choices can be made in advance that will impact you for years, perhaps decades.
Decision points exist in these areas: medical, financial, legal, and personal. In your current life, you’re probably making those choices every day. The luxury of control is assumed. You maintain or surrender control so effortlessly that it falls into your subconscious. But, you, like most of us will lose control to aging – either gradually or suddenly.
If you haven’t done the advance work and documented your plan, then you will cede control to others. Timing is critical because not all stages of life afford you the same degree of control. Review the three stages below.
- Stage One is where you are in control of planning. Mental clarity and the ability to follow a structured format are needed. When planning in this stage is completed, it represents an accurate reflection of your wishes.
- Stage Two requires assistance for planning. Individuals at this stage may have been reluctant to plan, in denial, or simply unaware. They can still express their wishes and provide information. However, they no longer have the ability or energy to keep the planning process moving forward. Guidance is required to extract their wishes and other pertinent information. The person assisting them – maybe that’s you – performs the gathering and documentation. Done right, the completed plan is still an accurate reflection of the person’s wishes.
- Stage Three is where someone else does the best they can to handle your crisis. Ability to state your wishes may be limited or completely absent. Gathering data is tortuous and frequently erroneous. Vital pieces of the puzzle are often missing. The plan may not reflect who you are and what you want. Personal control is lost.
So, which stage do you wish for yourself? Which stage for your family?
To seize control, then a guide is needed. And The Blueprint to Age Your Way provides the roadmap. This book has been years in the making and is available now on Amazon. All you need to do is commit, obtain the Blueprint, and fill in the worksheets. Then share your written plan with your responsible party. A gift to yourself, a treasure for them.
Got questions about the Blueprint? Please post them on my Facebook page.
