Organizing Your Tools

Last week, I wrote about setting goals, breaking them down and mapping out a plan to meet them.  This week, we look at assessing and understanding the tools that you have to meet your goals.  Understanding how to use our money and assets is best done with both intensity and consistency (see video below).  In a recent survey by the Financial Planning Standards Council, 40% of Canadians don’t feel in control of their financial futures, and 30% of Canadians are overwhelmed by their financial options.  Our goals and plans for our money are attached to our emotions- often our goals are very personal and meaningful to use.  It can be difficult to know how to make choices when there is so much riding on the outcome.

Small to Big

Money coming in and money going out should be understood as much as possible when building a plan to meet your goals.  Understanding the ins and outs on a monthly basis will help you understand what’s available to meet long-term goals.  If adjustments need to happen to create room to meet long-term goals, the adjustments will happen on a monthly, per-item basis.  It’s important to review your priorities before making changes- cutting back on a really important-to-you expense could end up not meeting your long-term goals.

Big to Small

If you have long-term goals, knowing how much you need to meet them and a projection of what is needed will help you develop a plan.  If your long-term goals are still a bit fuzzy, a projection of how your financial future plays out over a long period will help to give you an initial direction.  An initial plan can generate conversations about what you’re comfortable with, what you want to change.  If a career change is on your wish list, take a look at what the new income, benefits, new location (if applicable) does to your long-term plans.

There is a way to clear the uncertainty and evaluate your options.  To start your plan, contact Sara at 519-569-7526 or [email protected]

Financial Blind Spots

Intensity vs Consistency-Simon Sinek

This was extracted from a talk on organizational culture, but the theory is applicable to our finances as well.  Neither intensity nor consistency alone will get us to our goals