Yes, I know: Every New Year, we set resolutions to get motivated, to set ourselves on a better, more productive path… but after we set them, we become discouraged by them, forget about them and before you know it…it’s another New Year’s Eve and time for another set of resolutions. Maybe this pattern has even resulted in not setting New Year’s resolutions at all this year. What’s the point, right?

Well…do I have an idea for you! Instead of just setting mindless goals, I want you to consider a single question and wrap your 2011 resolutions around your answer.

“How do you want to be remembered when you are gone?” Self-centered, mean, heartless, callous, ungrateful, even selfish? Actually, no.

How do you want to be remembered? If you take this perspective, it will influence every facet of your life. This influence will not only be reflected in how you treat people on a day-to-day basis, but making sure your loved ones are cared for if you were to become incapacitated, disabled or are no longer here:

Do you have your wills and legal documents in place, your beneficiaries and asset titling in order and/or your business succession plan in line to ensure this?

Do you have enough life and/or disability insurance?

Who will help your spouse make big decisions after you are gone such as buying a car all alone, selling real estate or settling your estate? Who will he/she be able to confide in when it comes to money? Have you initiated this type of relationship with someone you can trust?

If you consider these questions from this perspective, you will make the most selfless, motivational New Year’s resolutions possible.

“Selfless” because you will be thoughtful of others. For many years we have sold life insurance and one thing seems to be consistent. You buy life insurance because you love someone. And I have never sat with a couple that didn’t love each other more after 50 years than they did on their wedding day.

“Motivational” because you will have heart-felt emotion behind your goals. Do you know why I think people fail at goal setting? Because they set a goal without an emotional attachment. Think about the last New Year’s resolution you made. Did you want to lose 20 pounds, quit smoking, start exercising? Did you ever slow down enough to think about “why” you wanted to accomplish these things? What did it mean to you or to your family? Maybe you thought about it, but my guess is that it was a fleeting thought. At the end of the day—your goal didn’t mean much. You knew it was something you should do, but perhaps you didn’t think through who those decisions actually impact.

I encourage you to seriously think about it. How do you want to be remembered when you are gone?

Then, treat every day as if it were your last. Where would you want to be? Who would you want to be with? What would you want to be doing?

Last week the article was “What does it mean to me to live life on purpose?” Read it again. If you no longer have it, visit our web-site, www.kennedy-financial.com. It’s on the homepage for you. I think you will find it to be a good compliment to setting your 2011 Resolutions after you have answered the most important question.

Happy New Year and Carpe Diem!!!

Securities & Advisory Services offered through VSR Financial Services, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser and Member FINRA/SIPC. Kennedy Financial Services is independent of VSR Financial Services, Inc. VSR does not provide tax or legal advice.