EXPECTATIONS : Will Your Current Efforts Get You There?

By: Adrienne Newberg

Here is a story I want to share with you.

Every morning a group of men went fishing.  They would bring in their catch and gather for a few moments on the pier before leaving.  After some time one of the more curious fisherman noticed that there was one fisherman that would throw back all the biggest fish he had caught.  He did this everyday and soon the curious fisherman could no longer contain himself.  He decided to ask this fisherman why he threw back the best fish he had caught.  The answer he got was that this fisherman only kept the fish that could fit into his small pan and threw back those that would not.

Are we all throwing back those “fish” that don’t fit our pan?  Are we avoiding a bigger outlook on what we could achieve?  Are we afraid to leave our comfort zone and look for something more?  As a financial advisor I know that reaching for a better retirement, more advanced planning and keeping your financial goals on track can be a challenge.  By doing nothing we make a choice to stick with the status quo.  In some cases that might work but I would like to suggest that you look at where you are now and where you would like to be.  Will your current efforts get you there?

What are your expectations?  Are you throwing back opportunities that might be bigger than the ones you have now?  Are you unwilling to review your current way of looking at your financial planning?  In a rush of New Year’s resolutions about retirement are you going to follow through on them?  Any change in how we do things takes effort.  Sometimes it just seems easier to stay with what we know.  I would like to ask you to think about whether your current course of action is going to get you to the financial goals that are your vision.

I believe a good place to start is educating yourself.  Be open to useful, factual information that can empower you.  There are no bad questions. It is a lack of questions that holds us back.  Move forward with your financial literacy.  There are many sizes and types of “pans” available.  Some will be a good fit and others not.  Try to decide which ones work and which ones do not. Talk with your HR person and see what is available for you.  If you are a small business owner look into the various options for retirement savings.  Should you be funding an IRA and how does that work? Explore your options.   See if you can expand your vision.  You do not have to navigate this on your own.  Consider partnering with a financial advisor to work with you toward helping you pursue your goals.

 I hope you will take a moment to reflect before you decide you can’t try for a bigger vision of moving forward.