Sort out your life paperwork: a will, nominees and important papers
Nobody enjoys it, but sorting out a will, nominees and important papers is one of the kindest things you can do for your family.
Your numbers
Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.
How much it weighs
Weighs 7 out of 10
It weighs 7 out of 10, and it's on your mind every week
In the World Regret Survey, basics left too long were one of the four big kinds of regret. Unfinished plans keep coming back to mind. Writing down when you'll take the first step helps quiet them.
Your small stepWrite down where your important papers are, and tell one person you trust.
How we worked this out
- How much it matters: 7 out of 10.
- How much you'd regret it at 80: 7 out of 10.
- Weight: (7 + 7) ÷ 2 = 7 out of 10.
- On your mind: every week.
- How scary starting feels: 5 out of 10. It changes the words we use, not the weight.
- Waiting for 1 year.
- There are no rupees here on purpose. Some things are better weighed than counted.
Sources
- Pink, The Power of Regret (2022): Across tens of thousands of submitted regrets, four kinds keep coming up: foundation (not building basics like savings or health), boldness (not taking the chance), moral, and connection (letting relationships drift).
- Gilovich & Medvec, Psychological Review (1995): In the short run people regret what they did; over the long run they regret what they didn't do.
- World Happiness Report 2025 (Gallup World Poll) (2025): Researchers measure how people feel about their lives with a simple 0 to 10 rating. India scored about 4.4 in 2025.
- Masicampo & Baumeister (2011): Unfinished goals keep popping into your head. Making a specific plan for them quiets those thoughts.
How it works
This is a feelings topic: we ask how much it matters to you and how much you'd regret leaving it, and weigh it out of 10.
In the World Regret Survey, basics left too long were one of the four big kinds of regret.
The first step is small on purpose: write down where things are, and tell one person you trust.
Sources
- Pink, The Power of Regret (2022): The survey is self-selected (people chose to submit), so it shows patterns, not rates.
- Gilovich & Medvec, Psychological Review (1995): Debated by Kahneman (1995); a 1998 follow-up found some regrets of inaction are wistful rather than painful.
- World Happiness Report 2025 (Gallup World Poll) (2025): A national average, and a different question from ours. We borrow the method, not the number.
- Masicampo & Baumeister (2011)
Questions people ask
Do I need a lawyer to write a will?
It depends on your situation. A lawyer can tell you what you need. We don't give legal advice.
What are nominees?
The people you name on bank, provident fund or other accounts, so your family can reach the money more easily. Check each account's own page.
Putting off more than one thing?
Pick up to five and get your Delay Statement: what to do first, what can wait, and one small step for today.
Want a nudge to act on it?
The app turns what you're putting off into a short list for each day: your Top 3 and one small step at a time. It's free.
We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.