What Does Wealth Mean to You?
When you think of wealth, what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you are like most people, you will think of money, homes, vacations, cars, designer clothes, diamonds, yachts, or other visible signs of purchasing power.
You might see yourself free to do as you wish without needing to work or maybe being able to contribute to social or political change. As financial advisors in Kansas City, we know that every person’s definition is different.
We enjoy helping people define their goals because it helps align their actions with their happiness. While building wealth is part of creating a life you want and enjoy, the path can (and should) also be gratifying.
Independent Wealth Management: Have You Considered It?
Some people spend their whole lives pursuing wealth without giving much thought to what they will be experiencing at the finish line.
This can be self-defeating because if you do not let yourself visualize something, it loses some of its reality in your mind. As a result, it can get dangerously easy to assume that the goal is unreachable.
Anytime someone remains convinced that they cannot prosper, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Wealth should never be anyone’s reason for existing, but it can be an instrument of the life you really want to experience.
Like the car you drive, the computer you type on, et cetera, money is a tool. What any individual creates with wealth depends on who they are and how they use it. Like a lawnmower, money is inert until someone interacts with it.
Sometimes people put off fulfillment and satisfaction with their life until they have achieved a specific level of wealth or reached some other milestone.
However, pardon us for sharing a minor spoiler here: Not even financial independence can solve all of your problems.
Is Wealthiness a State of Mind?
We like seeing clients excited about their financial goals to the point of consistently achieving them. At the same time, it can help relieve stress and pressure to remember that money is not a cure-all.
It can facilitate a more comfortable lifestyle. However, some people sleep no better at night on a million-dollar bed than they would on a sidewalk stack of Walmart bags.
Our culture is awash in raps adoring money and wealthy cartoon characters who practically use gold for toilet paper. Nevertheless, in real life, your mileage may vary considerably, even when all your material needs are met.
So, it is better to think ahead of what your best finish line looks like well before you reach it. By establishing a personal definition of wealth, you can determine what it may actually bring to your life.
When you envision your concept of financial success, you put yourself in a position of power. Generally, it’s a long-term endeavor, but you can start by taking action on the parts of that experience that you can create right now.
We refer to our brand of independent wealth solutions as “values-based” because it starts with taking an inventory of what matters to you most. Learning your values is crucial.
From there, we work with you to set goals along the route of your overall financial plan. Every one of them, like your long-term plan itself, centers around what you consider to be most important.
This is the most concrete means of seeking your better financial future, here and now, that we know of.
Celebrate Charting Your Course
Right now is the best time to begin enjoying your life simultaneously as you grow your wealth.
Life is not always “what you make of it,” but for better or worse, the experience is always filtered through our emotional attitude. Real happiness has been said to be 90% a combination of attitude and genetics and only 10% related to your actual circumstances.
Financial stability and freedom can be the cherry on top of your financial-goal sundae, not a stick prodding you through a life of dread. Rumor has it that even people who live into their 90’s will tell you, “life is short.”
It is always better to celebrate even short-term wealth management goals’ completion, milestone by milestone, than to grind yourself into mush. Celebrating wins along the way helps keep your motivation strong and steady.
This is why we encourage detailed descriptions of every goal that you are willing to make one for. For example, you might specify that “On June 8th of 202X, I am clocking out and then packing for Ecuador to help open our free dental clinic.”
This is the value of financial planning that we provide. The designation attaches much more value than “On June 8th of 202X, I retire.” The latter has far less of a motivating emotional connection.
Doing this for every goal, whether it is long-term, short-term, or mid-term, immediately increases your odds of success. Contact us today for financial advice on starting your own (or for a financial portfolio review).
Visualize Your Financial Finish Line, and Then Let Your Friends at ViaWealth Help You Reach It.
