Using Mind Mapping to Plan Your Will
Though it is not something most of us like to think about, wills are an important part of planning for life after we’re gone. Having a will in place makes it easier to leave property to relatives, divide assets, and, in general, carry out our wishes for allocating our possessions after we are no longer living. When planning a will, it is necessary to be extremely clear about details such as who will get what, when they will get it, and who is in charge of executing the will. As such, there are a myriad of tools that have been created to help with this planning. Yet, none of these tools will likely offer the advantages found in Mind Mapping, which allows user to organize the planning of information using a highly visual and spatially constructed format. With Mind Maps, one can literally “map out” all the various aspects of his or her will, along with the instructions for its execution, in one diagram using colors, pictures, or other graphics as desired. Organizing information in this manner has been shown to allow the brain to process and recall the information more naturally, as well as allow one to work with the information more efficiently. Thus, Mind Mapping offers those looking to plan their will a creative and effective way to make sure their wishes are clearly stated for what to do when they are no longer with us.
Using Mind Mapping to Plan a Will
Benjamin has amassed a good deal of wealth in life, thanks to hard work and disciplined savings. However, he realizes that, without a will, he will have no control over what happens to his hard earned assets after he dies. He decides to plan out his will using Mind Mapping, so that he can easily decide how his assets will be divided and make it simple for his lawyer to convert into a legal document. He commences his Mind Map by initially, representing the purpose of his map, his will and its executor, in the map’s center. He then adds branches to his map, on which he lists his major assets that he wants to bequeath. On child branches attached to the branches, he next lists the people to whom he wants to leave each asset, as well as the percentage of the asset each person will receive. On twigs that are attached to the child branches, he further notes any contingencies or requirements on which his bequeathals rest. Throughout his Mind Map, Benjamin uses colors, pictures, and other graphics to make his map more creative and the particulars of his will easier to conceptualize. When he has completed his map, it looks similar to the attached Mind Map diagram.
A Clear Documentation of His Wishes Thanks to Mind Mapping
After constructing his Mind Map outlining his will, Benjamin takes his map to his lawyer to have a legal document of his wishes drawn up. As they work together on his will, Benjamin and his attorney have no trouble conveying his wishes in legal terms; everything that Benjamin wants to leave to his relatives is clearly and visually “mapped out” in one document that is easy to understand. Once his lawyer has completed drawing up his will, Benjamin adds his signature to it and leaves the office, relieved that he has solidified his wishes as to how the things he’s worked so hard for will be divided when he’s gone.
Tags: lawyer, possessions, wealth, Will