On Friday, May 12, we hosted an in-person workshop for our clients. The clients who attended had the opportunity to step back out of the busy world and think about what goals are the most important to them.
There are definite advantages to doing this type of exercise in person and sharing the learnings in a group setting. The people who attended told us they really enjoyed the event, and it was very beneficial to hear what others wanted to do and add some of those ideas to their own list.
In the blog this month, we will share a couple of highlights we used for helping our clients set their goals. Many clients were not able to attend because of conflicts in their schedule, or because they live out of the area. If you are a client and want to work on setting your goals for the future, please let us know if you’d like to attend a future workshop or do this one-on-one with your advisor. We encourage you to build your future by determining the goals that are most important to you.
Sign up for our email newsletter for views of the economy, stock market, and top news stories from our Wealth Managers at Financial Journey Partners.
Take the Time to Figure Out What Matters the Most to You
Do you wake up most mornings and jump out of bed because you are so excited about the day? If not, clearly defining your most important goals and putting together a plan to work on them may add more excitement to your life. We are talking about goals in all areas of your life which includes goals for yourself, your family, your friends, the groups you belong to, your finances, and causes you are passionate about.
Goals related to your family may be high on your list. This could include spending time with your children, grandchildren, or elderly parents. Some of our client’s happiest memories are with their grandchildren at birthdays, holidays, sports, and the arts. Babysitting for grandkids and great grandkids can be a huge help to their parents. In addition to your family, there may be life-long friends to reconnect with and rebuild relationships.
You may have goals to do family vacations or maybe spend time with friends at a dinner and show. Your time is very valuable, so you may want to think about doing things that bring you the most joy in your relationships.
You may be a member of a non-profit group and you want to become more involved, or you may want to join a new group. There are lots of charities that rely on volunteers to help their communities. Some people decide to get more involved with their church or religious organizations and help with their programs. Consider how you will spend your time, as well as some of your assets.
We want you to take the time to decide what matters the most to you.
Where to Begin?
We recommend you start with the end in mind. Ask yourself, “what do I want to make sure I do or accomplish the rest of my life?” Write down everything that comes to mind.
Now consider goals in these different areas:
- Experiences – What additional experiences do I want to gain?
- Growth – Where do I want growth in my life? Consider growth spiritually, areas for improvement, and new skills and areas you’d like to learn
- Contribution – What causes do I care about? How do I want to contribute my money, time, or both?
- Fun – What fun do I want to have?
- More – What matters to me in addition to all of this?
Here are a few ideas that you might consider:
- Plan a trip with family or friends and go on it
- Find 3 different hobbies and do them with different people
- Learn to play pickle-ball, golf, a new card game, or quilting
- Spend time with your grandchildren or children - perhaps create a regular type of outing
- Join a book club
- Write a book – perhaps your own life story
- Look into VolunteerMatch.org to find local organizations that you might want to get involved in helping
- Join Rotary or Lions or Sierra Club or other service organizations or volunteer at a local theater (Elaine likes the LWV – helping create good government)
- Volunteer with your religious organization
- Read books to children in a hospital or a community center
Be sure to write down what you want to accomplish in each of these areas and share with your family and friends. Recognize and make note of the items that energize you the most and think about what immediate next step you can take and do it!
After you have a list of goals that you feel are exciting, share them with your Wealth Manager too! As your Wealth Manager, we are excited to learn about your goals and include them in your financial plan. We want to do everything possible to help you achieve your goals.
We want to help you make smart decisions, so you can do the things that are most important to you and enjoy the journey. What gets us excited to jump out of bed every day is doing everything we can to help you achieve your goals!
Would you like to attend this event if it was held again?
The clients who attended the May 12 workshop gave us very positive feedback, so we are thinking about hosting it again. If you are a client and couldn't attend but would be interested in a similar event, let your Wealth Manager know. We'll gauge interest based on responses, and if there's enough, we'll plan another event.
Financial Journey Partners - Partners in Your Financial Journey®
Our Financial Journey Partners office is based in San Jose, California. We have clients that live in many states across the country. If you have questions about your investments or financial situation, call us to schedule time to talk about your specific situation.
Sign up for our email newsletter to stay up to date on our views of the economy, stock market, and top news stories.