QUIZ RESULT: THE PLANNER
You know your mortality type.
Now what?
You’re The Planner.
You find comfort in clarity. You’d rather make decisions now than leave the people you love trying to figure them out in the middle of a crisis.
That instinct is a strength.
But here’s the thing I want every Planner to remember:
Don’t just prepare the paperwork. Prepare the person.
An advance directive matters. A will matters. The folder labeled IF I DIE absolutely matters.
But someday, someone may have to make a decision your documents don't specifically answer.
They'll need to understand you.
What makes life worth living to you? What does independence mean to you? What are you willing to endure for more time? What would comfort look like? When would enough feel like enough?
The goal isn't to leave behind instructions for every possible scenario. It's to give the people you love enough clarity that they don't have to guess who you were.
Wherever you're starting, start here.
There are a few things I wish every adult had in place—not because I think we should spend our lives preparing to die, but because a little preparation now can remove an enormous amount of uncertainty later.
1. A healthcare decision-maker.
Someone who knows they're the person you'd want speaking for you if you couldn't speak for yourself.
2. An advance directive.
Not because a document can predict every situation. It can't. But it gives everyone somewhere to begin.
3. Someone who actually understands what matters to you.
Not just which treatments you'd accept, but what makes life feel worth living.
4. A way for the right person to access the important stuff.
Documents. Accounts. Passwords. Contacts. The things nobody wants to hunt for during a crisis.
5. At least one real conversation.
It doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to happen.
Your Planner challenge:
Have one conversation this week that starts with:
“If you ever had to make a decision for me, here's what I'd want you to understand about me…”
Want a little help starting the conversation?
Documents are important. But the person who may someday have to make decisions for you needs more than paperwork.
I created this free guide to help you think about—and talk about—the things an advance directive can't fully capture.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE
You don't have to wait for a crisis to get support.
I'm Kathleen, a death doula and end-of-life planner. I help individuals and families navigate the practical, emotional, and deeply human parts of serious illness, dying, and end-of-life planning.
And you don't need to be dying to start.
If this quiz made you realize there are decisions, conversations, or loose ends you've been meaning to deal with, this is exactly the kind of work I help people with.