I’m typically
a cheerful person. Unfortunately, I’ve been humbled by a front row seat to life
getting in my way.

Within the
last two years, my husband and I suffered a home burglary so violating that we
packed up and moved to a new city to start a new life.

A close
family member was diagnosed with dementia, creating new part time jobs for my
sister and me as we manage from states away.

Last
December, my husband of 32 years had a mini stroke that required 36 hours in
intensive care, during which I worried about what life would be like if I would
be lucky enough to bring him home.

He’s fine
now, and I am so grateful. What a wake-up call.

We Like to Focus on Happy Experiences

What
starts out as an ordinary day can sometimes go very wrong and change our life
forever in an instant.

That’s why
most of us are happy to be in smooth sailing mode. We live our lives, tend to
jobs and businesses, and plan for the wedding, baby shower, or graduation.

We create
dream boards to illustrate our big goals with images from magazines that show
vacations to exotic destinations, beautiful homes, and sporty new cars. The
focus on happy experiences, material possessions, valuable assets is fun to
talk about.

It’s not
so fun to talk about what could go wrong.

Life Gets in the Way

The U.S.
Department of Labor reports that only the top 6% of wage earners will achieve a
six-figure income at their jobs.

Cautionary statistics are also true for those who start businesses. The Small Business Administration states that 30% of new businesses fail during the first two years. Only 25% make it to 15 years or more.

Why is
that? Many reasons, mostly focused on absence of capital, lack of know-how, creating
the wrong solutions, and changing trends.

Here’s the
piece that also stops many in their tracks: Life got in the way in the form of
disease, divorce, disability, disaster, or death. In the United States, there are:

• 365,000 serious fires per year;
• 9 million identity thefts; and
• 2 million car accidents resulting in permanent
  disability.

That means
that some big dreamers are sidelined to tend to life as it happens. They are
likely unprepared for the fall out.

Dreaming Big but Skipping Preparation

Why are we
so quick to dream the big dreams and so reluctant to take steps to protect them?

Fear,
denial, procrastination, not knowing what steps to take or when, and overwhelm
are excuses that come up again and again.

Here are five
actions to take today to get your act together and feel more empowered before
something random or crazy can stop you.

Claim Utilities

Put the
names of all adults in the household on the utility statements for the next
billing cycle so all can call for help when the power goes out or worse.

Keep Beneficiary Designations Up to Date

Check your
beneficiary designations often and make sure they’re current to avoid an
inheritance denial due to administrative error.

Keep Records of Your Valuables

Take
pictures and assemble receipts and appraisals for jewelry and other valuables
before being victim to a burglary.

Entrust Phone PIN to a Reliable Party

Share your
phone login information with your partner or best friend so they can access
personal contacts just in case they need to share important news quickly with
people who have a need to know.

Secure Your Documents and Valuables

Set up a document
storage box for social security cards, passports, birth certificates, marriage
licenses, property or vehicle titles, and wills, and rent a safe deposit box
for valuables best left stored in a secure location.

Having
this information and other crucial documents where you can easily find them
will save you time and grief when life takes a turn by surprise, while making the
journey ahead a bit softer and gentler for those who need to drive life forward
in case you can’t.

Coming
back to big dreams for the future, you might be wondering, what is on my dream
board?

No More Drama

When you’re
in a drama-free zone – the kids and
parents are alright, jobs and health are good, your dreams are clear, along
with the path to make them come true – that’s
the time to do one more thing to ensure the success you’ve worked so hard to
achieve up until now.

Dream with
your eyes wide open and:

• Compile, save, update, and share your personal
  financial information and crucial documents with the people in your life who
  have a need to know.
• Ignite conversations with your loved ones to understand
  your wishes, just in case life doesn’t unfold in a neat and tidy fashion where
  every box gets checked in perfect order.
• Get on with the rest of your life to achieve
  your big dreams with the comfort that you’ll never leave a legacy of chaos to clean
  up later because you got your act together long before something random could stop
  you.

What
action will you take to get your act together today? What do you wish you had
done before life got in your way? What advice can you give to those who haven’t
thought forward yet? Let’s start a conversation.