Do the Next Right Thing Now
Dan Johnson, CFP®
My wife and I enjoy taking time to talk about what we want our life to look like when we reach the point of financial independence. It is exciting to do this exercise, as it helps keep the reason behind saving, investing, and other smart financial decisions at the forefront of your mind.
We know it will be a fun journey, and we realize that we do not know every twist and turn that will happen along the way. Furthermore, we know that our financial goals and objectives will change over the course of the next 20 to 30 years – especially since we now have our first child on the way.
These changes and shifts in financial goals are what makes financial planning so interesting. Whenever our team works with someone, we are in it together for the long haul – knowing that goals, circumstances, and dreams will evolve along the way. Just as my wife and I have an evolving financial plan as we prepare for our first child, so we at The Wealth Group savor the always-developing financial plans of our clients.
Knowing the future is uncertain, and that plans will change over time, some people can become paralyzed by the unknowns. However, we always know the next right thing to do now, and this is where we help guide you.
There are two major benefits to breaking down your goals and objectives into easy to understand next steps:
It focuses your energy, effort, and finances into the most important actions to take.
It gives you peace-of-mind that you are consistently making progress towards your financial goals.
Reaching the point of financial independence is not something that happens overnight – unless you win the lottery. If that happens please let us know, because that would be an important financial change to begin planning around J. We know that consistently choosing to do the next right thing now is how you will be able to retire successfully (being forevermore financially independent). Jacob Riis put it well:
“Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”
Take time to think through what you want your life to look like a year from now, ten years from now, and more. Along with that long-term goal-setting, keep choosing to do the next right thing today with your finances. We will be right there alongside you, helping you discern what those next steps are.
Because The Wealth Group, Austin B. Colby & Associates is independent of Raymond James, the expressed written opinions above are our own and not necessarily reflective of Raymond James’ opinions.