Think about your life as a whole, about the things you’ve done that make you most proud, that set you apart from everyone else, that make you unique. Write them down. Don’t worry about the order, or whether everyone who knows you would agree that that’s really you. Just commit to paper what could be you.Now think about how you’d like to be remembered.

What would you like your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to know about you? Make a list of these qualities. They should indicate the person you are, or maybe the person you are in the process of becoming. Perhaps you are an especially patient supervisor, or have a fine eye for interior design. Make a note.

Compare the two lists. Is what you’ve done in your life consistent with how you’d like to be remembered? Or is there a gap between expectation and reality?

Now write your obituary. Your perspective is obviously biased, but it is also an intimate one. Keep your obituary updated, and at those times in your life when you feel the old you has shifted, create a new one.

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