The Path to Freedom
2019 is here! It’s a new year, a clean slate, a blank canvas. Opportunities for self-improvement abound, new goals are set in place, “become less of this and more of this” perspectives are trending, everyone’s picking an inspirational word. Good intentions for healthy living and new habits are soaking in our minds. It’s all great.
Maybe one of your goals for 2019 is financial. Pay off debt? Save more? Spend less here and more there? Define financial goals?
Now would be the perfect time to throw in a sales pitch for why you need a financial planner like us. Instead, I want to talk a little bit about some unhealthy mindsets around your financial life (and maybe other areas of life too!), and hopefully bring you more freedom in 2019.
We see client after client come in to their initial planning meeting with a common theme: shame. Shame that they have spent too much. Shame that they haven’t saved enough. Shame that they haven’t started college funds for their kids. Shame that they have so much debt. Shame that their salary isn’t as high as they want it to be. Shame that they have buried their heads in the sand because they don’t know where to start. We see it from so many different angles.
Shame. Its a dirty word. And we want to kill it.
A hidden, underlying message to all of the New Year hype is that you aren’t enough. That you’ve been a failure and your weaknesses are exposed. You’re not skinny enough. You don’t read enough. You don’t eat enough healthy food. You don’t travel enough. You don’t exercise enough. You don’t save enough money.
Not that it’s anyone’s intentions. I’m confident people are chasing a better life for mostly good reasons. But it’s easy to go down that mental path. To tell yourself all of the ways you’ve fallen short in past years. And that’s NEVER where God wants you to camp. He sees you as complete and deserving of all good things just as you are. And that’s how we should see each other and ourselves. He is a God of love, and shame is never His motivator for change. It’s always love.
No matter your goals for the New Year, don’t play the shame game. Make sure you’re maintaining a healthy outlook and motivation that is free of shame.
If your goals are financial, accept where you are and know that a good financial advisor will never judge you or shame your decisions. It’s a common misconception that a financial advisor will nag and shame you because of your situation and habits. But it’s completely not the case. In reality, we want to replace your shame with a feeling of freedom! Freedom in knowing that you are being intentional with your money and you have a plan in place for success. We are cheering you toward your goals and toward financial freedom and joy. Don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed about where you are. We want to see you spend money in areas you enjoy and that matter to you. We want you to leave meetings feeling relief, encouragement, and excitement for the future.
In 2019, let your goals be free of shame. Let your financial approach be positive and full of freedom. Whatever your financial goal, we are here for it, applauding you and cheering you on toward a healthier financial life. And we hope we can help you get there this year.
