Planning

Is it time for an accountability partner? Last month, I did a review of my goals and realized there was a particular goal that was almost a year old. It’s not difficult; just a little out of my comfort level. I however had to make a decision if I wanted this opportunity I had to get moving. The fact that I had made no progress in a year told me I was in trouble. So I called a friend and asked for an accountability partner. 

If you feel stuck on your financial goals it may be time for an accountability partner. A budget takes minutes, but if it’s year two and you still don’t have one you need help. An accountability partner should act as your conscious not your mother. Their job is to help you stay on track. Sometimes you need a sounding board and sometimes you need someone to just tell you to get your butt in gear. Your accountability partner will not do the work for you, but they can help you as you navigate your goal. Don’t over think this; keep it simple. 

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Okay guys, I just completed another class for the Financial Planning Certificate which leads to the certification. And I came to the conclusion that there’s a language barrier. I struggled a little until I realized the material was in a different language. For me, I had to translate from financial jargon, to common sense every day words. For example they loved the words deferred. Now this is a perfectly good word, however how many of use it in day to day language. So I kept having to translate deferred compensation to delayed or postponed compensation. My other favorite word was nonqualified. You can tell it’s a foreign langue when you discover no one can agree on the spelling. When trying to find the translation for the word I found some groups use Non Qualified, others use Non-Qualified and the text book used nonqualified. When in doubt on financial matters I go with the IRS. I also used the no-nonsense IRS description. 

Keep this in mind the next time you’re chatting with your financial person. The advisor may not be speaking over your head, they’re just speaking a different language. Think of it this way. You’re high school Spanish and they’re advanced or a native speaker. In high school you may use the word "maleta" to describe a suitcase, but perhaps in the advanced class you use the word “velija” which is more descriptive. You may in fact be discussing the same item just in different terms.

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One of my mid-term goals is to complete the Financial Planning Certification work. Today is day one of my first class. When the registration went through my initial thought was “this is going to happen”. It was like a light bulb went on in my head. I mean, now I’m really going to have to do more than wishing and planning. Part of me wanted to drop the class and get a refund. But, I realize for me to get from point A to point B I’ve got to do something. 

Look achieving any goal will take some effort and its okay if you get a little nervous when the plan comes together. The future is exciting and something you’ve never seen before. I suggest you take those butterflies and let them energize you to move forward. So take out those goals. You know the ones with the dust and no time line on them, and start moving forward.

Read more: Working through your goals