“We can’t predict, but we can prepare.”
The real economic issues that matter are what is going on in your world – your family and the career that you are involved in.
Quebec, Canada is a beautiful city this time of year. I was fortunate to enjoy a few days there last month for a business meeting. Artists had their art works displayed along the streets. Flower boxes filled with beautiful flowers lined the windows of many homes and businesses. Even the people on the streets were exceptionally friendly. It was France in North America.
In a few months the atmosphere will be very different. They told me that snow was piled as high as twelve feet along the roads last winter. We often relate behavior to the conditions and circumstances around us, and the atmosphere in Quebec will be very different soon.
When our meetings began, the first speaker (CEO of a Fortune 100 company) said that he usually begins his meetings with updates on the global economy and financial outlook of the investment arena, and he said that he would have a different discussion that day. As financial advisors, we are constantly asked our opinion about these issues because people want to know what to do with their investments and plan accordingly.
He then made a simple, but profound statement, “We can’t predict, but we can prepare.” The real economic issues that matter are those that affect what is going on in your world – your family and the career that you are involved in. Nearly thirty years ago, I was told that financial planning is both an art and a science.
The art of planning involves understanding behavior and developing clarity on the issues that impact your world. After years of meetings, I would say that most people have a vision of what they desire financially, but more often than not, they have not developed clarity and used the science available to customize the plan for that is right for their current situation.
A survey was sent out for a meeting asking participants whether they wanted a healthy fruit snack or a cookie snack at the break. 76% of the respondents chose fruit and 24% chose cookies. At the actual break, 80% ate cookies and 20% ate fruit.
The art of behavior modification is fascinating. It is also frustrating. Knowing what we should do and not implementing the behavior to accomplish our plans is like an artist with no paint. The vision and the plans are of no value if we do not implement action.
That is the beauty of the work that we do. We develop clarity for a realistic plan that requires changing behavior to accomplish the goals and dreams of our clients. It is a thing of beauty to see families enjoy their lives and provide value to their families and communities because of the good habits established to accomplish their dreams.
The Aiken Symphony Orchestra (ASO) began its fifth season on Sept. 14th. It was a wonderful evening with talented children playing in the lobby and entertaining the audience as they arrived. Mayor Osbon honored the ASO for the value that they bring to the Aiken area. As the new President, I welcomed guests as we gathered to experience the tremendous talent on stage that night.
We should all desire and strive for the art within us to bring satisfaction and joy to the beauty of life around us. We do not achieve the goal of developing talent or creating financial security with desire alone. Consider using the talent and experience of those who are trained to help you change behavior and accomplish what is valuable and important in your life.
We can’t always predict, but we can prepare. Life is full of unexpected circumstances. Enhance the art of living with help from those who can bring value to your life.
Thomas H Herlong, CLU, ChFC, CLTC
General Partner, Herlong & Doran Financial Group
