How Making a Plan Helps You Move Forward

With the start of the year and the ensuing focus on health and well-being, it important to remember to also take the time to think about your financial health. For some it may be a check-in, for others it may be an item that has long been on their to-do list.

Many know that they need to do something but don’t know where to start. There is a plethora of information and resources out there but that often leaves people more frustrated and confused than when they started. So how do you start working on your financial health?

I am a big believer that to implement any real change or to take steps towards growth, we need to first step back and know where it is that we are trying to get to. Life is busy and things move quickly; many of us are guilty of getting caught in this race to do more, achieve more, have more. But where is it that you are going? What is it that you are trying to achieve?

“If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”
Steven Covey

Everyone has their own personal answer. Without taking the time to step back and plan, how do we know we are working towards our goals. If you do one thing this year, make your plan - your own personal, individualized plan.

I do this exercise with my clients, and we focus on tangible life goals and milestones, such as buying a house or retiring at a certain age. But we also incorporate the less concrete but equally important plan of what type of lifestyle it is that they want to lead. If you picture your perfect day, how is it that you want it to look? Then start building this plan out into the future. If you could wave a magic wand, how is it that you would like to see yourself in a year? In 5 years? In 15? In retirement? Depending on where you are in life, the picture could be fuzzy or crystal clear. It does not matter, this is our map for own future and while the destinations and the paths can change, it gives us the momentum to move forward.

And what does this all have to do with your money – EVERYTHING! Your money, your savings, your investments are all tools to help you get somewhere. As an end in of themselves, they tend not to bring much happiness. But as a tool to help achieve your goals, your dreams – they are priceless.

So, build your road map and see the big picture. It is only then that you can start putting the pieces in place to get you there.