Blog
Very few people love everything about their jobs. But even if you're someone who just clocks in and out for a paycheck, wouldn't it be nice to get a little more Return on Life from something you spend 40+ hours doing every single week? Whether you're looking into a career change or trying to reframe how you think about and perform at your job, here are four reasons to whistle while you work:
The demands of being a C-level executive can be so overwhelming that you might feel like you're "on call" even on your rare days off. If you're struggling to unplug from your work, perhaps you need to make more purposeful investments of time and energy into your hobbies. Adding some creative relaxation to your routine could help you make three big improvements that could reduce burnout and boost your Return on Life.
Market volatility can make anyone nervous, especially in our always-on, 24/7 news cycle.
When some of our more experienced team members were first starting out in finance, average investors typically checked in on their accounts once or twice a quarter when their custodians sent paper statements. As for the Dow Jones and S&P 500, you'd usually see two numbers every day: one on the morning news and another in the evening. Today, watching your nest egg fluctuate in real time while social media and cable news shout a steady stream of panic can make it feel like your financial plan is living and dying moment by moment.
Our Life-Centered Planning process always considers all the available data that could impact you and your money. But we also take in a much wider view of the markets, your plan, and your goals for the future. You can see that same big picture if you unplug, step back, and focus on three important investing principles.
There are a variety of viewpoints on how social media influences our society - both good and bad. After all, some people are spending hours a day on these platforms and we need to be aware of their impact. From our vantage point, we’re paying close attention to how these networks influence our clients’ spending, saving, and investing habits.
Not all stress is bad stress.
While there's overwhelming medical evidence that negative stress can cause significant physical and emotional damage, "eustress" can energize and inspire us to meet surmountable obstacles. In fact, if you attempt one of these three challenges, you might actively cultivate eustress that leads to personal development and a greater Return on Life.
Unless you win the lottery, no financial plan is going to deliver massive overnight results that change your life. Even windfall events like getting a major promotion, or achieving a big exit from the company you started are all the end result of smaller achievements that gather and sustain momentum towards your ultimate goal.
Whether you want to save more, improve your health, or spend more quality time with your family, this simple three-step process can help you build momentum that will improve your Return on Life in the areas that matter the most to you.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication," proclaimed an Apple Computer marketing brochure back in 1977. In the ensuing decades, Steve Jobs' commitment to this ideal resulted in technology products that were as beautiful as they were easy to use, and resulted in Apple becoming one of the most valuable companies in the world.
The clutter that we accumulate in our life often prevents us from getting as much value as we can from our time and money. Think about how pairing down to the essentials in these four areas could improve your Return on Life (ROL).
Parents often judge their child's success by the letters they see on their report card. But helping kids develop strong habits and a can-do mindset can set them up for success inside and outside of the classroom for the rest of their lives.
Talk to your kids about these three techniques for setting and achieving goals this school year, and encourage them to improve their mind, health, outlook, and their Return on Life.
Independence is an important value to all Americans. It's also a value that's central to how we feel about and use our money. When we feel financially free, we can make a wider variety of choices, pursue our passions, and find our ideal version of work-life balance. As we move past the 4th of July and head into the second half of the year, ask yourself how these three areas of financial independence are affecting your planning and how to get more Return on Life going forward.
A family might spend decades working and saving towards the goal of owning a vacation home. The memories made are priceless, but the personal, emotional, and financial costs of keeping that house in your family for generations can be very high and very painful without thorough planning.
Prepare a family retreat into your legacy plan and make sure you discuss these three points with your heirs, your attorney, your CPA, and your financial advisor.
