"Dealing with change.." Article by Steve Marsten

There is a lot to deal with in life nowadays….Orange is the new black, 50 is the new 40 and Life and Financial Planners are the new personal trainers! Sometimes we don’t know when it’s the right time to call in the trainer or coach. Last week I met an acquaintance who thought he needed a financial planner. He was in the middle of a major change in his life and didn’t know what to expect. Then again the more we talked it turned out he needed to change some things but didn’t know how to make it happen!

We ended up discussing what it was he really wanted to change and identify some target areas such as relationship; health and finances or career. The starting point needed to be the area of “least satisfaction”. Sometimes we feel we have a good life and there are some parts that just aren’t great. Often it’s the area where we suffer the most that, with focus, we can create the greatest improvement.

We also came up with a 6 point plan to ensure that my friend had some way of measuring his achievements and knowing where he needed to continue to focus his energies and thought processes.

1.       Set some manageable goals. These needed to be short and to the point.

2.       Ask your self the following questions everyday – Did I do my best to:

a.       Set clear and concise goals?

b.      Make progress toward my goal achievement?

c.       Maintain a good level of happiness?

d.      Build positive relationships?

e.      Be fully engaged?

Failure is part of life and progress so it’s bound to happen along the way to achieving your goals. Whether it’s a financial goal or any other goal we are aiming  for - when we fail, we need to forgive ourselves and be get back on top of the plan. Stay disciplined to the goal. Set the failures aside and carry on. Don’t replay or relive failures – focus on the benefits of achieving your goals and what that will mean in terms of the positives for your life. At Sothertons improving our clients’ lives through goal achievement is a high priority for us. Call 07 4972 1300 to put your plan in place today.