Most people know that they should make funeral pre-arrangements to help loved ones if something untimely should happen to them. But many procrastinate actually doing the work. And it's understandable. Planning your own funeral isn't a fun subject. No one likes to think about their own mortality.

So, what can help you bridge the gap between knowing what you should do and doing it? Here are a few tips to get your own funeral pre-arrangements completed. 

1. Define Your Goals

Most people would agree that pre-planning is done to take the burden off grieving loved ones. However, this goal is nebulous. Help yourself decide how much to plan and get started by defining your specific goals. Do you want to ensure certain elements are done at your funeral? Plan for expenses? Convince your loved ones to cremate you? Knowing what you want to accomplish is an important step. 

2. Work With a Pro

If you've never planned a full funeral or memorial, you may not even know where to start. The funeral process is complicated and may involve many, many decisions. Get yourself some help by working with a funeral home for guidance. 

3. Start With the Basics

A few major funeral decisions are the most important — and possibly the easiest for you. Do you want a religious funeral or a secular one? Cremation or burial? Funeral with body present or a memorial? The big choices guide the rest of the process and will give you a sense of accomplishment. 

4. Don't Micromanage

Know when to stop planning. This may seem counter-intuitive, but you don't have to manage every single detail if you don't want to. Once your goals are met, you can stop adding details at any time. Not only will this make your work easier, but you allow family and friends to contribute to the funeral with decisions in areas you find less important but which are meaningful to them. 

5. Reward Yourself

During and after the process of pre-arranging, reward yourself for completing tasks. Funeral planning may not be an easy thing to do, so give it some positive associations. Treat yourself to a spa day, have dinner with good friends, or go to Disneyland for some life affirmation. 

Where to Start

Ready to start conquering your hesitation to pre-arrange your funeral wishes? Begin by meeting with a qualified funeral home in your area. With their help and expertise, it will be as painless as possible. And then you can move on with enjoying your life knowing that you've helped yourself and your loved ones.