Creating Your Last Chapter: A New Way to Think About Death

We spend so much of our lives planning every detail: careers, weddings, even retirement. Yet, there’s one major event we seem reluctant to plan ~ our own death. It's understandable. Death is scary, unknown, and surrounded by cultural taboos. But what if planning your death could actually lead to living more fully?

Many of us prepare for what happens after we're gone with wills, insurance policies, and even funeral arrangements. But what about planning for the moment itself? Why not approach death with the same clarity, thought, and intention that we apply to other parts of our lives? For me, I believe we should.

In fact, I’ve planned my own death.

Before you jump to conclusions, this isn’t about controlling life’s inevitable end in a rigid way. It’s about framing it in a peaceful, intentional manner. I’ve visualized my 100th birthday. I’ll be in my bathroom, looking into the mirror at my reflection, my curly white hair falling around my face. That night, I’ll go to bed ~ and I just won’t wake up. No drama, no struggle, just a sweet and peaceful passing. This isn’t a certainty of course, but the act of envisioning my final moment allows me to feel at ease with what’s to come.

Why We Fear Death

Our reluctance to plan for death often comes from fear. It’s natural to avoid thinking about something so vast, so unknown. Many cultures, especially in the West, shy away from conversations about death, making it seem like a taboo subject. People assume that thinking about death invites it in.

But the truth is, death is the one certainty in life. Regardless of how much we avoid the thought, it will come for each of us. Why not face it, prepare for it, and embrace it as part of our story?

Pre-Planning Death: A Tool for Life

When I say I’ve planned my death, I don’t mean that in a literal sense. It’s not about trying to control something that’s ultimately unpredictable. Rather, it's about creating a sense of peace and acceptance.

Pre-planning death can be an empowering mental exercise. Even if it doesn’t happen the way you visualize, the mere act of thinking through it gives you a sense of agency. It forces you to face your mortality, which in turn, might make you appreciate life more deeply. We plan so much in life, but by failing to think about our death, we leave a huge part of our existence up to chance.

What If We Really Create Our Reality?

This idea of planning your death connects deeply with the possibility that we create our reality. Manifestation, a concept people often talk about in self-help circles and spirituality, suggests that we can shape our experiences through intention and visualization. People claim to manifest careers, relationships, and financial success. But what if that principle applies to death as well?

We don’t really know how much control we have over reality, but if there's even a small possibility that we can manifest outcomes, why wouldn’t we plan for our final one? If manifestation works. If we truly can influence what happens through our thoughts and intentions ~ then it makes perfect sense to visualize and plan our death just as we would any other aspect of life. It’s not about controlling the inevitable but about setting an intention for how you want to experience it. And if that possibility exists, it’s worth considering.

Living Fully by Embracing Mortality

Death planning ~oddly enough~ isn’t really about death. It’s about life. It’s about acknowledging that our time is limited and in-turn making the most of it. By imagining your end, you might make different decisions about how you live. You might be more mindful of how you spend your time and with whom you share it.

I believe that by facing the inevitable, you can gain more clarity about the present. Knowing that you’ve thought about the end removes some of its mystery and fear. In its place, you might find more motivation to live authentically and purposefully, without waiting for some distant, undefined end to catch you by surprise.

Practical & Spiritual Considerations

There is also the spiritual and existential side of this conversation. Visualizing your death could also envoke the larger questions in life, like what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind and how do you want to be remembered? By addressing these questions, you might be able to live with greater intention and clarity.

The Final Chapter

Whether you choose to live until 100 or prefer not to assign an age to your final moments, consider planning your death ~not as a morbid task~ but as a meaningful exercise in living fully. You may find yourself writing an even richer story between now and then.

After all, death is the one thing we all know will come. Why not make it a part of the life you get to shape?