In the very first chapter of Money: Master the Game by Tony Robbins, he says “complexity is the enemy of execution.” In other words, our lives are overfilled. We are extremely busy, but we spend little time on things that we would say are the most important. There’s a palpable disconnect between what we say and what we actually do.
Take a look at your email, your phone, and your calendar. Chances are they contain “to-do” lists, responsibilities, and perhaps our favorite culprit, distractions. Lots of stuff and little to no time or space for them. You started out simple, but now your life has become too complex. It’s like a convoluted labyrinth that you’re having more and more trouble navigating each day.
In 2018, we have access to amazing technology and 24 hour news cycles. We also have seemingly unlimited options and choices. You'd think this would lead to more satisfaction and productivity. But it’s just not the case. The abundance of choice has led to:
Think back… when were your best memories? For most of us, it was when our lives were simpler. Maybe it was when you first got married, when you worked at your first job, or the time before that big promotion. Whatever it was, it’s likely these memories were not based on your net worth, your salary, or the ability to buy things. It was based on life being simpler. You had time to think, time to dream, and time to connect with the people that were important to you.
So how do you get back to that place? How did everything get so complicated? Why can’t we seem to get the important (not just urgent) things done?
I heard an analogy once that stuck with me. When life gets like this, we need to “unpack the backpack.” We spend years stuffing things in (even good things!)… in goes that job, add your spouse, throw in some children, don’t forget the dog!, a workout routine for good health, say yes to yet another weekly meeting, toss in the work-related and leisure travel, and one more sports practice for good measure… before you know it, your backpack that you tote around every day is busting at the seams and the zipper is about to break. No wonder you’re exhausted and life is overly complex!
What can you actually do about it? If you catch it before the zipper and seams rip apart, you start by unpacking everything in your bag. You re-evaluate every item by asking this question: Is this really necessary? Perhaps something you agreed to put in your backpack last year or five years ago doesn’t need to be carried around anymore. Maybe you can pass it along to someone else or maybe it’s just time to let it go. When you repack your backpack with what’s really most important, you’re left with the things that really hold value for you.
If freedom in finances and long-term financial responsibility are what you want, and you want to stop shouldering the burden of disorganized and chaotic finances in your backpack, I’d like to help. Just like with life, many of us make our own finances too complicated. Not necessarily on purpose, but it seems to just become this way over time. We have many investment accounts with no common strategy. We have four old 401k accounts floating around because we weren’t sure what to do with them when we left that old employer. We have old estate documents and insurance policies that we purchased a decade ago under completely different circumstances. We intended to start saving, to start tithing, to start ___(fill in the blank)___. Whatever “it” was, it has never happened. Our finances are all over the place and we have little to show for our past efforts. Let’s just say… it’s gotten complicated!
The solution is to get help making the complex simpler. Life is about taking the right action, without getting stuck in the over-analysis that paralyzes. Let me help you create a plan, so you can start taking achievable action steps. I want to give you back the peace of mind and margin for thinking, dreaming, connecting, and achieving. One small step at a time.
Wishing you all the best,
