At our best, many of us have a hard time organizing our thoughts. It's not something we regularly do. When we talk with friends, family, coworkers and strangers, we very often just say what we're thinking (hopefully with a little self-editing as the words come out of our mouths). The occasion to sit down and systematize our thoughts is a rare one. So, the process can seem a little overwhelming—especially at a time when our thoughts are naturally all over the place.

The following tips will help you organize your thoughts so that you can craft a solid, meaningful and concise eulogy.

1. Gather as much information and facts about the life of the deceased as possible. Make sure that the information is accurate. Write each fact down in a list—in chronological order so that you can refer to it easily. Be sure the dates are correct and that you include anything of importance such as time and place of birth, schooling date of marriage(s), birthdates of children and grandchildren, career-related information and residences.

2. Consider your purpose. Write down what you are trying to accomplish with this eulogy. Is it a celebration of the life the person led? If, so, make sure you stay within your purpose as you are writing.

3. Make a few notes of important times in the life of the deceased. Include times you shared and times that you weren't a part of, but knew about.

4. On a separate page, make a note of how you are feeling if you get overwhelmed or emotional. Sometimes naming a feeling helps you deal with it better.

Even with your thoughts carefully organized and a roadmap set for writing the eulogy, it can still be a frightening task. If you just take a few minutes to follow these guidelines you will see that there is nothing to be intimidated by, your eulogy will be perfect.