Your Money Journey: Lisa Sakai
“Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future. “–Robin Sharma
Break Free From Financial Guilt:
I meet with probably about thirty prospects a year now. But when I first started, I used to network so I would meet with hundreds of new people each year. I always say that every person’s financial journey is unique. We all have a personal vision of what we want and how we want to get it.
This is the very reason we named our company, One Vision Retirement. One Vision is the client’s vision. We are here to orchestrate what the client wants and get all of their different instruments to work in unison if possible.
There is, however, one common theme from most of my clients and the people I meet with every year. They begin our conversation on finance with an apology. They are sorry to give so much detail. Moreover, they are sorry they haven’t saved more. Sorry for mistakes they have made in the past– that they don’t have “enough” assets, and they waited so long.
“We all have pain in our past when it comes to money.”
Guilt About Financial Situation:
Who are they sorry to? I am new to their world and haven’t been harmed. My feelings aren’t hurt. I’m fine! Who they really are apologizing to is themselves. They have so much guilt pent up about their financial situation, good or bad, that they feel they have to apologize. As you read this, do you feel a twinge of an apology. Did it make you think of a mistake you’ve made or a regret you have? Does it bring up the icky feeling that money sometimes can?
I recently met with a lady that I had been on a podcast with. We had a great conversation and she wanted to hear more about what I did. She began with an apology for where she was on her financial journey. She told me about tough times and bad decisions. Furthermore, she shared her lost dreams and that she is working to teach her kids differently.
When I asked her what she really wanted in the future, she paused and didn’t quite know. She had a vague idea but nothing definite. When I asked her what the first thing was she wanted to tackle, she again didn’t know. She said she hadn’t thought about it. “I guess I’ve just been coasting and closing my eyes to the whole situation,” she said.
We all have pain in our past when it comes to money. Money is one of the most personal, emotional elements of our lives. Having money equals freedom and happiness. Without it, we’ve pushed that freedom aside and we have had to be a slave to things we don’t want to do, maybe even jobs we can’t stand anymore. Money has formed a guilt layer around many of us that we don’t know how to move forward. So, then we don’t.
Using Financial Guilt As An ‘Excuse’?
As Robin Sharma says in his quote, “Are you being a prisoner of your past money mistakes?” How much is this affecting you? Could you be using that guilt as an excuse to not move forward? Are you denying yourself the ability to be the architect of your life because you can’t get over the past?
” If what I’ve written for you has hit a nerve, it’s possible that forgiveness or action need to be your word. .”
Many of us have words of the year. Mostly, I hear the words: abundance, execution, and prosperity. If what I’ve written for you has hit a nerve, it’s possible that forgiveness or action need to be your word. For forgiveness, we need to accept that what has happened in the past is part of history, and there is danger in forgetting history, but we need to know we can’t change it and worrying about it will not help us in the future. We need to learn and move forward. Moving forward is the action.
As we open 2024, and have a brand-new blank page, what is the first action you are going to take? Are you going to put together a saving strategy? Are you going to look at the options in your 401K? How about investigating that long term care insurance you’ve been thinking about for five years? What will be your action?
We often start with goals but I think this can be dangerous if you haven’t been taking action on a regular basis. A goal, to work, needs to be specific and timely. When we make a resolution or a goal, it’s things like “get my financial house in order.” What does that mean?
“Read a book on finance. Look at your credit card statement.”
Financial Action Challenge:
Instead of writing a financial goal, I challenge you to take one financial action. Read a book on finance. Look at your credit card statement. Reassess your benefits at work. It doesn’t have to be a big action but just taking that first step and completing it will start you building rather than thinking about the past.
Please Note: Investment advice offered through Integrated Financial Partners, doing business as One Vision Retirement, a registered investment advisor. The information in this material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Integrated Financial Partners does not provide legal/tax advice or services. Please consult a qualified legal/tax advisor regarding your specific situation. Additional resources can be found in Lisa’s bio below.
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About the Author:
Lisa Sakai is a Financial Consultant who works with clients on Bucket List Acceleration and getting to live the life they want now. As the co-founder of One Vision Retirement, she has been working with clients across the country for over 12 years. Lisa’s advice provides easy to understand, logical steps and exercises that people can take action on right away. Learn more about Lisa Sakai here at One Vision Retirement.
Need help getting started? No sweat, set up a no-obligation, Get to Know you Call today: https://calendly.com/onevisionretire/gettingtoknowyouOne Vison Retirement. Your Path to Financial Independence with 20/20 Vision. Not sure where to start, take a look at a resource this resource: Baby Step Your Way to Financial Independence. Start with one of the 15 ideas listed and start to build on top of that. This will build you the home you want rather than looking at the ashes that remain.
