THINKING LIKE A KID

Recently my nine-year-old daughter, Avery, showed me a picture of an amusement park she designed, Pony Land. She took me on a guided tour using the map she drew and described all of the fun elements. I love getting glimpses into her imagination and of course, I didn’t tell her of the impossibility of having a unicorn petting area (though I’m pretty sure she knows they aren’t real) or rides that defy the laws of physics. It dawned on me that when working with clients, sometimes I do illustrate reality as different than what they envisioned, hopefully in a nice way that is solution oriented, but still pointing out the misalignment of their expectations and reality.

Of course, not everyone is off the mark. According to a 2018 report by Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 18% of Americans are very confident in retiring comfortably and 44% are somewhat confident. However, of those who provided an estimate of how much retirement savings they’ll need, 47% said they guessed. In other words, their reality could be very different.

I think it is great to dream and I wish I could do it like a kid without constraint, but it is also important to plan. I encourage you to spend some time dreaming about your future goals and desires. Then ask yourself if that was just a fun thought exercise or an expectation. If it’s an expectation, put a plan in place to make it happen and start now. Even if you aren’t on track, doing something will make the future brighter than it would be otherwise.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now.

– Chinese proverb

The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty.

– Proverbs 21:5

Advisory services offered through Arbor Point Advisors. Securities offered through Securities America Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Arbor Point and Securities America are separate companies. CA Insurance #0E88557