Tag: Life

Is my ideal retirement possible?

Is there a chance my retirement may be different?

Many people find that their view and experience of their retirement may be very different from what they expect. Reality can be a pretty harsh awakener (especially if it’s your own retirement).

How do I get a picture of my income in retirement?

In the financial part of the equation, you can of course model, plan and adjust assumptions and figures as you head towards the big day and the rest of your life.  Of course it takes a high degree of  knowledge and skill to get the figures absolutely correct, and with the aid of technology, it is easier to get pretty close, even building in re-runs of the 2008 credit crunch (remember that?).

What if things don’t turn out like I thought?

Even if you have the financial plan in place, it may be that the other side of retirement – LIFE – can all of a sudden, not unfold quite as you had imagined.

What do I want from retirement?

Will your retirement be all holidays and lunches at garden centres? Will it be just looking forward to watching your favourite TV show with an eccles cake and a cup of tea at 3.30pm ?  Or, could it be full of purpose, full of fun, a brand new start?

What do I want to achieve when I finish work?

Frequently people who had such high expectations for their retirement, find that a year or two in, they have managed to find themselves in a rut of mundaneness (they may even be fulfilling their spouses retirement and not even thinking about their own). They may even look back and wish that they had stayed working and be paid to be bored, rather than sacrifice an income and lack little social interaction.

Should I start to plan my life and money?

People just like you are quickly realising that they need to plan their retirement just as they plan their future.  That planning is not just about scheduling in a month-long break to Malta each October, but figuring out how each day and week may look for you.  What will you do to happily fill the time, and regain your purpose and passions which may well have been put on hold for 50 years (whilst ‘grown up life’ for in the way).

Is there more to retirement than just money?

Finding your happy retirement is not just going to be attached to a number – a certain amount of income, especially if all those years lack fun, freedom and a real purpose. You will probably find that the things which bring you the most joy, may not even cost much at all, you just need to find them and not be trapped in a retirement bucket.

Together we can bring some Serenity to your life

 

How to keep your routine going when travelling

How do I stop travel distorting my daily routine

It’s not easy building and developing a regular daily routine of eating well, caring for the body and mind, and generally looking after yourself.

Once you have established one however, travel, holidays or being in a different environment seem to take a swipe from the side, pushing you off track. Be it travelling to a different city for work (which if you do often enough, can then develop its own routine – such as finding a yoga session in a sleeper compartment on a train), a two week holiday, or a visit to friends or family, this disruption or disturbance can dramatically cause you to go off track, and potentially jeopardise the regular routine when you return to your normal environment.

How do I keep my routine when others don’t embrace it?

Perhaps the greatest challenge is staying with others who are not aligned with your own routine.

Does it appear unsociable to head off for a run, to lock yourself away to meditate, or to spend that 30 minutes a day focussing on the project you have committed to? Maybe in your own mind it does, but just think about the last time you had a guest to stay, and they took time out to spend some time on a task they are dedicated to (or turned down a slice of chocolate cake). How did that seem to you?

Will people be upset if I do my own thing?

Rather than being offended at your guest’s need for time, it is more likely that you admired their dedication, commitment and desire to move forward, and at the same time, opened up a great discussion about their routine.

Can I inspire others with my routine?

Rather than feel ashamed or uneasy of your regular routine when travelling, embrace the adapted version, be proud of it, explain it to others, and act as their inspiration to move themselves forwards.

 

Why just goals or objective based planning is selling the client short

Pure goals and objective based planning is far better than the greedy pursuit of ‘more’ which has been the bedrock of financial advice for many a year.  Look at it, once we have more, we want some more of that more – it is a never satisfying cycle. Continue reading “Why just goals or objective based planning is selling the client short” →

6 Reasons Spending Time With Family is Important

It is all too easy to get caught up in the pursuit of career, work, hobbies, even obsessive about cleaning or just ‘stuff’ in general.  The downside of all of this, is that we miss those who are really the most important to us, those who we can be pretty confident will be there as we take our last breath. Continue reading “6 Reasons Spending Time With Family is Important” →

Free Financial Advice is usually worth exactly what you paid for it. Here’s why

In the article, the journalist says “…free advice is usually worth exactly what you paid for it…”  which may not be necessarily so.

In financial planning, free advice (albeit sometimes well intended) can frequently take you further away from where you want to be, putting you in a more precarious or risky position than  you were before. Continue reading “Free Financial Advice is usually worth exactly what you paid for it. Here’s why” →

What is a financial life plan ?

Here is a questions often asked – what is a financial life plan, and why would I need that as opposed to a financial plan?  

More and more consumers are understanding that there is a difference between the old way of financial advice (selling as many products as possible) and financial planning (where recommendations are able to demonstrate that they are relevant and appropriate for the long term).

So where is Financial Life Planning different? Continue reading “What is a financial life plan ?” →

Is the financial advice experience negative or positive?

A question I have been mulling over – ‘is financial advice negative or positive’ – or is it aimed to create negative feelings, then solve them with overly positive predictions or scenarios, or actually, should it be to create positive feelings, then stay sensibly grounded, aware of what could happen (negative scenarios)? Continue reading “Is the financial advice experience negative or positive?” →