I was rather struck by one of the comments from Steve Jobs that has been circulating of late, basically stating that knowing you are going to die brings a remarkable clarity to the priorities of what you are doing today.

So I thought, what would you do if you were told you only had a year left?

I know what I'd like to do, but I know right now I can't afford to do it.

So I suspect I'd feel very, very depressed if I was told I had a year before I die.

+1. I'm not sure I'd be big enough to go and "live life to the full", I expect I'd try and carry on as normal. Which is sad.

A year? Wow, that's actually a lot longer than I was expecting to get .

What would I do? Go and meet each of my friends, many of whom are too far away to see regularly. Make sure my passing didn't leave my family anything inconvenient to deal with. Sell as much 'stuff' as I can, and find something wonderful and unusual to do with the money (not necessarily for my own pleasure). I'm kind of reminded of the guy who shredded his entire life as an art project . Finish reading the stack of books next to my bed. Hope next summer has some sunshine to enjoy. Plan a funeral that everyone who attends it will talk about for the rest of their lives. Go and see some of the various animals I sponsor, to say thank you for letting me salve my consumer conscience a little.

There are a couple of other things, but I can't bring myself to discuss them in public.

Short version : Make the last year a life, rather than a wait.

Jon

I saw a welsh flag at the RWC last weekend and it had witten on it "spending the kids inheritance". Well sorry kids ............

+1

Beg borrow or steal, I wouldn't spend another day in the UK, after seeing all the close family of course.

Quite frighteningly, I could very well be in this situation soon.


Soooo............either spent the next 8 months, working really hard and coming out with a CCT (certificate of completion of training), so fully fledged doctor and means I'll have a sizeable wad of cash saved up for the family. or stop working, spend some time with family doing all the things I'll never get to do in the future, visit relatives abroad, freeze my sperm, write a journal of some of my life and its education to hand down, and spend the last few months on a sandy beach somewhere, enjoying the remaining time in peace, before returning home for the final moments. I don't really want my family to be around when I die but I think they'd like to be. But if I didn't need any equipment etc, it'd be at home in my bed, the one place I loved above all else.

While impending death is pretty grim, having a year's notice isn't a bad thing; and more than most of us will get.

I'd get my affairs in order, and spend as much time as possible with family and friends.

That's it, nothing fancy.

Although I'd like to quit work, I wouldn't. The life insurance wouldn't be valid at the time of my death if I did.

Quite a few insurance policies inc some work ones will pay out before you die (assuming thier doctors agree with your diagnosis of 1 yr left) - they know that they will have to pay out so why not a year early

I believe your family would value spending time with you a lot more than value the money ...

If I had a year left I would quit my job and put a couple of business plans, which the wife isn't too keen on as it means leaving the security of a full time job, into action. We're talking serious cash in hand, which I would make damn sure Mrs. V hid under the proverbial mattress...


You're probably right, but when reality kicks in and she has to support the children on one wage, as opposed to the two wages we bring in at the moment I think Mrs. V. would appreciate the money as well