As we embark on a new year, reaching our goals or making lasting changes in the new year can feel daunting. Last year’s goals might still need some attention or rejuvenation. But some goals were not meant to be accomplished in a year. They are meant to be accomplished over a lifetime. Leaving a legacy in our family is a continual process that we seek to make progress in year after year, day after day, and moment after moment. Leaving a legacy can mean many different things to different people. How to leave a family legacy this year depends on consistency and key principles. Here are a few ways you might consider leaving a lasting impact on your family:
How to leave a family legacy: Be a Role Model
Be a positive influence on your children and other family members by setting a good example through your actions and behaviors. Be disciplined with godly habits, so you influence others around you with your deeds and your words.
How to leave a family legacy: Share your values and traditions
Teach your children and other family members about your values and traditions, and encourage them to pass them down to future generations. When you demonstrate these values in your life, your values are not just taught but caught.
How to leave a family legacy: Leave a financial legacy
You may choose to create a financial plan that includes provisions for your family after you are gone. This could include setting up a trust fund or making a charitable donation in your family’s name. Adding a “Letter of Instruction to Loved Ones” can help your influence to live on.
How to leave a family legacy: Leave behind a legacy of service
Consider volunteering your time and resources to help others in your community. This not only makes a positive impact in the world, but it also sets a good example for your family to follow. A family mission trip together leaves an impression that lasts a lifetime and beyond.
How to leave a family legacy: Share your talents and hobbies
Share your hobbies and talents with your children and other family members, and encourage them to develop their own skills and interests. Serving in a ministry together at church helps to cultivate talents together, strengthening family bonds.
How to leave a family legacy: Create a family history
Consider preserving your family’s history by writing down stories and memories, creating a family tree, or collecting keepsakes and mementos. Creating albums of family trips together is a great way to preserve memories.
Ultimately, the most important thing as you seek to positively impact your family and leave behind a legacy that reflects your values and beliefs is that your legacy glorifies God. Such a legacy bears fruit and lives on for generations . . . and for eternity.
