Online Wills & Holistic Legacy Preservation

Prompts to get started: 40 journal questions you can pick from

Identity & meaning

1. The one sentence that describes who I am: “I am a ___.”
2. The decision I’m most proud of is ___.
3. A time I said “yes” when I should have said “no” — what I learned: ___.
4. If I could talk to my younger self, I’d say ___.
5. What matters more to me than being right is ___.
6. Three words I hope people use to describe me when I’m gone: ___.
7. My life theme (if it were a movie) would be ___.
8. A tradition I want my grandchildren to continue: ___.

Memory-story prompts

1. My earliest memory of home: ___.
2. A person who changed my path: ___.
3. The day I felt fully alive was ___.
4. A trip I took that opened my eyes: ___.
5. The hardest time I got through and how: ___.
6. The biggest surprise in my life: ___.
7. My favourite smell/sound/food from childhood and why: ___.
8. One failure that taught me more than any success: ___.

Reflection for legacy & care

1. If I could only choose one thing to pass on, it would be ___.
2. If I cannot remember tomorrow, I’d still like someone to know ___.
3. In my care preferences, comfort means ___.
4. In my will, I want everyone to understand ___.
5. Something I’ve never said but want to say: ___.
6. My fears about getting older or ill: ___.
7. My dreams for ‘what happens next’ after me: ___.
8. The values I hope my children and grandchildren keep: ___.

Digital & memory preservation

1. Photos that need labeling and story-behind: ___.
2. Online accounts I want future heirs to know about: ___.
3. One video message I want to record for the family: ___.
4. What I hope happens to my social-media legacy: ___.
5. If someone asks “Why did you keep that old thing?”, my answer is ___.
6. My favourite playlist and why those songs matter: ___.
7. A habit I want the next generation to adopt: ___.
8. A mistake I want my grandchildren to avoid: ___.

Gratitude + growth

1. I am grateful for ____ because ___.
2. The person I least expected help from taught me ___.
3. The book/film/song that changed me is ___.
4. If I had to simplify my life, I would keep ____ and let go of ____.
5. I’m sorry for ____, I hope you understand ____.
6. Two words I wish I heard more: ___.
7. I hope one day you forgive me for ___.
8. Before I go, these are the lessons I want to leave: ___.

Structure & tone: how to present your memory journal

Tone

• Write as if you’re talking to one trusted person: warm, honest, conversational.
• Use “I” statements: “I felt”, “I remember”, “I learned”.
• Avoid embarrassed, attacked or rushed tone—reflection takes time.
• Include emotion: “My heart sank”, “I laughed”, “We cried”.
• End each entry with a note to your heirs: “When you read this, I hope you know…”.

Structure

• Date and location or situation at the top.
• Context: “This happened when I was 45, the kids were small…”
• Story: “Here’s what we did.”
• Reflection: “This taught me…” or “I realised…” or “I wish I’d…”
• Legacy tie-in: “What this means for you/us is…”
• Tag (if using digital): add tags like #travel, #life-lesson, #family, #care-preference.

Length guidance

• Written: 300–500 words ideal.
• Audio: 2–5 minutes.
• Video: 3–8 minutes, or bite-sized 30–60 second clips for future digestibility.
• Quality over quantity: regular short entries beat one massive dump.