The Road Less Traveled: Recording Your Life's Journey for Future Generations
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Share Your Values and Priorities
When it comes to passing on an inheritance, financial assets are undoubtedly important, but multiple studies show it's more important to pass on family values, stories, life lessons and traditions. By creating a culture of communication, trust and mentoring in your family, you can encourage strong bonds and shared values that can last for generations.
Recording Your Story Matters
- Keep your life lessons alive for generations.
- Preserve the essence of your successes and failures, the challenges you confronted, and your values.
- Tell the origins of your family wealth.
Getting Started
Will your story be written or digital? What will you include? Be sure to make an outline of the points you want to make. Taking the time to make an outline helps you break your story into manageable chunks.
Review your outline and pick out places where you can include stories of pivotal moments in your life. Those moments of opportunity, challenge and surprise will illuminate your character and experiences to inspire future generations.
Your Legacy Statement is your story, telling who you are, where you came from and what your believe. It describes your hopes for your family, now and in the future.
86% of Baby Boomers and their parents rated "values and life lessons" as most important to legacy.
Allianz Company
Questions to Consider
- What values can I pass to preserve our family's future?
- What would it mean to you and your children to read your ancestors' stories in their own words?
- How will my ancestors remember our family's business success?
How to Capture Your Story
Documenting your stories in your own words can serve as a powerful living record of your trials and successes. Also consider keeping a daily log or journal.
Legacy Guides take a more defined approach to recording legacy stores.
— Suggested guides: Family Legacy Day Workbook, produced by Key Family Wealth;
"Words from the HEART: A Practical Guide to Writing an Ethical Will" by Dr. Eric Weiner
Have family members interview you on various topics, sharing an oral history of your life and values through video or audio recordings.
Consider hosting a facilitated Family Legacy Day with a Key Family Wealth advisor. Family Legacy Days are dedicated events to which a family's legacy, and future vision are defined through group activities and engagement.