What is this “digital legacy” I keep hearing about?
A what?
If you already know what a digital legacy is, then you are ahead of the game. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, tune in while I explain.
Do you use a computer? How about a smart phone? Laptop? Tablet? Camera? Thumb drives? Social media? Email…. This list is not exhaustive, but if you said “yes” to any of these, congratulations! You’ve got a digital legacy in the works already!
Your digital legacy is what gets left behind in an online, or electronic format when you are no longer here. The items in your digital legacy is made up of all the things you have created in a digital format, also known as your digital footprint. The terms are not the important part, so don’t get bogged down there! The important part is knowing what you are leaving behind, and more importantly being intentional about giving your family access to the things you want them to have.
Now, I know no one wants to talk about “after”, “when you’re not here”, or “death and dying”, but you and I both know that it is unavoidable and unpredictable. You also know that it often results in sadness of those around you. If you can help ease that pain by leaving behind something beautiful for our loved ones, why not do it!
For the first time in history, it is now possible to curate a digital legacy full of stories from your life, photos that should not be lost and messages to your loved ones that should not go unsaid. We now have an opportunity to create a legacy like no other. Some might think “they won’t want to see pictures of me”, or “they won’t find this to be important”. But think about this for a minute… Imagine somebody you have lost. Now imagine you watching a video of that person telling you your favorite story of theirs. Would you enjoy that?
I can tell you firsthand, the recordings I have of my late Dad is one of my most cherished heirlooms. Getting started with your digital legacy is easy! Here are 3 simple steps to begin creating yours today.
Identify where you will store your digital legacy. This might be in your phone, on your computer, or in a digital cloud such as FOREVER, like we use. When making your decision, remember to choose one that is lasting. Computers, internal and external hard drives, and thumb drives all have a lifespan that is likely shorter than yours. Cloud-based services are safer as long as they don’t have access and control of your private photos, which is one of the reasons we choose FOREVER. To read more about why, click here.
Let your loved ones know where your digital legacy lives. It is important somebody close to you knows where your legacy is and how to access it to be sure it gets passed on to the right people. For a resource to leave behind important information to your loved ones click here.
Add to your digital legacy consistently. Once you have your storage location identified and you’ve told your loved ones about your plan, now it’s time to begin adding digital assets. Include important moments like birthdays, holidays, vacations, kids talent shows, sporting events… whatever is meaningful to you and your family. This can be in the form of photos, videos, audio files, documents or any other digital format you might have. Start small by setting aside one day each month build your legacy a little a time.
Your memories are your most important heirlooms, it’s time we begin treating them as such.
To learn more about our digital storage options click here.
To create a free account for your digital legacy click here.
For any other questions, email me at Robyn@SecuringMemories.com! I’d love to hear from you!
