What’s the most powerful money move you can make?
Get Intentional!
Let’s begin with an exercise. Imagine you enter a dark room. The door closes behind you, and you’re handed a bow and arrow. Your instructions?
Hit the bullseye.
Ready! Aim! Fire!
What are the chances you’ll hit the bullseye in this dark room? Pretty low. But, if someone turned on the light, you’d see the target on the wall to the left of you, and you’d be more likely to hit the bullseye–or at least get closer to it.
Getting intentional
in your financial life is
“turning on the light”
so you can clearly see
the life you’re building.
We use the word “goals,” a lot in the world of finance.
When I talk to a new client, they often share goals like being prepared for retirement, funding their child’s college education, and buying a house. On the surface, many of our goals are similar, and it is important to match numbers to those goals–how much do you need to save by your desired retirement age to fund your retirement? How much do you need to set aside monthly for a down payment on a home or for your child’s college education? These are standard questions to answer in a financial planning engagement.
But goals are also qualitative. Each of us envisions these goals differently. What does a “secure retirement” mean? Does it mean flexible time near home to volunteer in the community? Does it involve world travel? Or more quiet time at home? And, why wait until retirement to begin making this vision a reality?
Often, we don’t make active and targeted steps forward because we’re mis-allocating each of our limited resources–only one of which is money. Every decision we make involves an allocation of
Time, Energy, and Money
Because these resources are limited, these decisions often involve a trade off between the three. For example, I choose to spend my time and energy on my yard work, partly because I enjoy it and partly because I don’t want to spend my money on having someone else do it.
To save this money, I spend my time and energy working in my yard. Someone else might prefer to spend money on this task so that they allocate the time and energy to something they find more productive or fulfilling.
The key is to intentionally allocate your time, energy, and money so you’re actively crafting the outcome.
Here’s how you do that:
Identify your “Why.”
Your “Why” is driven by your values. Working toward goals supported by your values, increases fulfillment and the likelihood you’ll achieve those goals. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll share with you how to identify your “why.”
Create a clear vision.
Use the knowledge of your values to develop a clear vision of your fulfilling life–both today and in the future.
Revisit your vision regularly.
On a weekly or monthly basis, revisit your vision. Opportunities will come your way, with a clear vision, you’ll recognize those that move you closer to your goals. And, you’ll capitalize on those opportunities. You’ll also recognize which opportunities take you away from your vision, and you’ll become more likely to pass those by. Over time, you will increasingly allocate your time, energy, and money toward your life vision.
Getting intentional is the most powerful money move you can make.
As you gain clarity on your values and your vision, you’ll create goals that align. You’ll capture opportunities that manifest that vision. And, you’ll stop allocating your time, energy, and money to activities that detract from what fulfills you. These drivers will increase your financial success and ensure that you’re not just building a secure future, but also happiness and fulfillment.
In our next 2 blogs, we’ll share more detailed guidance on how to get intentional through activities such as the “20 Life Goals” concept and “Identifying Your ‘Why.’”