Wendy and I were on a trip to visit a client family reunion in South Georgia. Since there was going to be a lot of driving, we agreed to spend the night in Macon and make it a short weekend trip.
As we were on the highway, I heard Wendy gasp. When she got my attention, Wendy pointed to the odometer. It read 99,950 miles. At this point, I recognized the gravity of the situation. Where would we be and where could we exit to celebrate that monumental moment when the odometer hits 100,000? I estimated it would happen somewhere just before Macon GA, where we would need to strategically exit at the most opportune time possible. I was tasked with watching the odometer like a hawk and not to doze off.
In roughly 45 minutes, the odometer read 99,995 miles. It was game on. We needed to exit the interstate, but at a strategically good point. Fortunately, we were nearing a city center, which meant exits were just a mile to a mile and a half apart. At 99,998 miles, we made our move. By the time we were at the end of the exit ramp, the odometer hit 99,999. We then saw an Ingles parking lot about ½ mile or so down the road. We decided that was where our 100,000 journey would end and the celebration would begin.
A cleansing hot shower or bath
We were up to four laps around the parking lot, and each time I told Wendy that I was certain we would hit our milestone around the next turn. She was clearly getting irritated with me on the third lap, but the magic moment finally came on lap five after we rounded the gas pumps. The attached picture is the one I took of Wendy celebrating and pointing towards our milestone.
In the financial planning process, there are so many “to-dos.” It can become overwhelming at times whether the task involves adjusting your estate plan, engaging in tax planning, or refining your household budget. It is always worth taking things one task at a time and even dividing those tasks into digestible chunks. Most importantly, take the time to celebrate when you accomplish one task before moving on to the next one. Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal, it is an important step that is moving the needle, and it will end up making the subsequent tasks a lot easier.
As financial planners, we realize that it is these small steps that can lead to big improvements. Collaborating with you on these milestones and then helping you to celebrate them is what we do.
Our motto is “we can help you with that.” We will collaborate with you on any financial decision you make, engaging other subject matter experts when necessary. We will not stop until we get things right. We encourage you to reach out to us for assistance in making important financial decisions and we always appreciate you recommending us to others.
