Now you might think I'm a bit nerdy but I'm here to tell you about why I'm a passionate believer in the role of 'planning' in life to achieve great things. In fact I love it so much I've quit my job to create a business that helps people do it well.
I'm a financial planner/adviser/legend (all synonymous).
Now people often draw a blank when I tell them what I do - they either think i pick investments or superannuation or something, or I'm a bit like an accountant (Thanks guys!).
But its neither of those.
Essentially what I do is sit down with my clients (who are everyday people) and get a really good understanding of whats important to them... where they're heading. What is their vision for their life?
Once understood, i then help my clients align their financial decisions with what is important to them. This improves the certainty of that vision becoming reality. It ultimately allows my clients to live a more fulfilling life because they're allocating their resources on purpose.
A financial plan is simply a documented set of actions that, when taken, will give you the most certainty of achieving your goals.
Do you have one?
But as you know I'm also a Christian... What! A bible basher!?
I often get a bit of funny look from other Christians when I tell them what I do - as if to say - oh you deal with planning and money huh...hmmm. Tisk tisk.
"God's in control mate so just sit back and let it happen". I think some people honestly think working with things monetary is a sin... and yet I haven't yet heard of an up and running ministry which hasn't required money and or planning for it to be successful. Gods work also requires planning and funding.
For example , if as a Christian i felt my calling from God in life was to "provide counseling support to missionary couples all over the world". The reality is that I'm going to have much more of a chance of carrying that calling out if I have a plan to achieve it - rather than just hoping for the best. In fact i think, arguably, planning would be the more Godly thing to do.
The same truth should flow through to everything we're hoping to do in life - ministry related or not. It could be that I just really want to give my kids a good education one day and give them nice holidays. No matter what your goals, a good plan will only help.
I believe that because God blesses us with money in life, we are called to be stewards of that money. Not to worship the money, but to worship God with it, by prayerfully and carefully planning how we will allocate it. And doing some things for yourself is OK too!
But surely we could look ourselves in the mirror more honestly if we can say, "Well I'm not squandering my dough because I know where it's going. I have a plan".
If anyone in life has things that are important to them, and has plans to achieve things, then having a plan which aligns your financial choices with whats important to you is a wise thing to do.
But what about the cost? Those sharks love to make money!?
Firstly, a good financial plan will always be affordable to you (your advisor would be pretty daft if it wasn't). And secondly, a good financial plan will provide you with more value than what it cost to create. Does that make sense? A good financial plan will give you more (yes in dollar terms) than it costs. It has to be that way or who would get one?
I think most people, if they were honest with themselves, would admit that they know they could probably be doing more with their hard earned money. A good financial adviser will show you how.
I believe God is ultimately in control and he is working in our lives and in the world... but He also asks that we be proactive with our decisions.
In my humble and biased opinion, having a good financial plan is a Godly thing to do.
If you want to achieve things in life, the chances are it's going to require funding to get there.
I believe everyone deserves a financial plan.
Sean
www.clarityfp.com.au
