I was recently startled by a statistic in the newspaper showing that less than 10% of Americans have wills, even though the majority are aware of their importance. I am a firm proponent of the idea that being organized is not about pretty and neat, but rather about being prepared for any opportunity. Let’s expand that definition to include being ready for any emergency.Emergencies are tough to deal with at any time. Why create more distress for yourself and for loved ones when you do not have the materials at hand that you need to get you through a crisis?If you are a member of the “sandwich” generation, caught between the needs of your children and the needs of your aging parents, you will want to ensure that you have everything you need to help both sets of family members. Besides a will, you want to know how to access life insurance policies, medical contacts, investment information, bank accounts, and so much more. Whether this is something you do for yourself or something you help a family member with, remember that being organized can bring peace of mind along with the ability to handle opportunities and emergencies.If you would like a PowerPoint presentation on what to include in an inventory of your needs, please email me at dlanders@keyorganization.com. This is such an important area that I would be glad to share the outline from my talk to groups.