When my practice partner Greg and I first began collaborating we were more focused on logistical aspects of our financial planning services and how to support them. In time we undertook a more thoughtful discussion with our business coach about what to name our practice to try to capture a vision of what’s important to us and how we strive to serve our clients. Greg and I had known each other for many years but it was through this exercise that we really understood more of the core values that guide us in our daily lives that we have in common. Critical to this is an important emphasis we both have on work/life balance—personally, professionally, and financially.
Thinking personally, while Greg’s life and mine have different contours, we both invest a lot in our relationships outside of work, friends and family, and volunteer work as well as strong interests in activities and hobbies that bring us great joy and satisfaction. It’s also important to invest in ourselves to what promotes a strong physical, psychological, and spiritual core personally. We know it’s vital to nurture and sustain these parts of lives as they’re really foundational in many respects as to who we are as people.
Professionally, Greg and I aspire to a strong ethic to serve our clients first and foremost to what’s important to them. This means that we invest a lot into maintaining our education level to be strategically up to date with changing planning guidance. And we continue to work toward building a team that supports all of our client work. The investment never stops as we are mindful that energy in is energy out with better outcomes for our clients, our team, and for us. Additionally, we balance our commitment to our clients and our work life with our personal life making sure that we take the time to recharge our batteries on a regular basis so that we are fully “present” in our work with our clients--it’s not enough to be “in the room”.
Financially, we know and strive to offer guidance to our clients to help them achieve their primary financial goals. But the objective here is to balance living for today with planning for the tomorrows to come with enough optimism that your plans will come to fruition…..and enough reality to build in contingencies should there be unexpected challenges.
In the end Living Well is all about recognizing these balances and sustaining them so that our clients can help our clients live the best lives they want for themselves. We do this by investing time, energy and treasure into all that is important to our clients, our team, and ourselves.