Many of us have made resolutions which we desire to fulfil in the coming year. Most of these resolutions aren’t grand schemes or ways to make our fortune, the most practical New Year’s resolutions involve ways of de-cluttering our lives and essentially giving us peace of mind.
Different ailments plague different people, for example some people really feel the weight of emotional issues whereas others feel financial concerns much more keenly. For the romantics amongst you, it may be dreams-unfulfilled or unrequited love, whereas the more retentive may be plagued by jumbled monetary issues and pressing paperwork.
In reality we tend to be troubled by a mixture of all of the above, and the following research by Saga.co.uk is a fantastic insight into our innermost collective psyche:
It’s All About The Money
It seems fascinating that paying somebody back, whom you may have lent money, is deemed as important as writing your own Will. If we’re comparing monetary value there’s generally no comparison, and even in terms of ‘duty’, you’d still imagine writing a Will would rank higher. Perhaps this is rather a reflection of how people live in the immediate instead of stressing about the long term.
Declutter
Getting rid of junk and clutter seems a pertinent choice for Britain’s number one worry. They say that the state of your personal affairs reflects the state of your mind and it can be hugely liberating to throw out all your old redundant stuff. Hoarding and attachment can be two of the unhealthiest human qualities, so rather than being a petty choice for the number one position, ‘getting rid of junk’ is perhaps highly philosophical.
Love Is In The Air
Telling someone you love them is also particularly striking, falling in at second in the chart of concerns. Perhaps the person you tell is a long term partner, a spouse or a sibling? People do neglect saying those words – but maybe the one you tell you love is somebody you might desire to be with: even more dramatic and pressing!
All this talk of romance and the general minutiae of modern life are beguiling, but surely with 9million UK adults living in serious debt, we have lost a bit of focus with regards the financial world on which we’re demanded to base our lives.
Think About The Others You Leave Behind
When we depart this earth our emotional legacy is what counts most, but our financial legacy is also a large part of the stamp we’ll leave on the mortal coil. Creating a Will is essential in avoiding family feuds, legal wrangling, and lengthy probate issues.
Emma Myers, Head of Wills at SagaLegal.co.uk comments: “We’re all familiar with the yearly ritual of making New Year’s Resolutions and breaking them before the month is out. This might not be such a problem if your resolution is to join a gym or learn the clarinet, but failing to deal with debt or to provide for your loved ones once you’re gone is an entirely different matter. De-cluttering your life may offer a temporary sense of satisfaction, but having a correctly drawn up Will is one of the things that will truly put your mind at rest”.
SagaLegal.co.uk is heading a movement to help people to focus on resolutions that can make a difference this year, so instead of idly talking about whether you might join the local gym or throw out your old clothes, do something constructive that’ll truly affect your life: make a Will.
Financial professional and online entrepreneur, I'm best known as The Financial Blogger. I want to make money because I like enjoying life the way it should be; with a lot of great food and wine! I also love to spend time with my lovely wife and 3 kids!
