119 | A "Financial Plan" is a Feeling

We’ve tricked ourselves into thinking that a "financial plan" is a document.

Some of the blame can be placed on our need to control the future - a document makes this seem more possible.

Some of the blame can be placed on an advisor’s need to prove that they’ve done something - a document provides a nice façade.

But time and time again, the word “plan” means something wildly different for everybody.

For some, it’s that feeling of seeing all of your accounts in one place instead of anxiously wondering if you've lost track of a couple.

For others, it’s moving from blind accumulation to a clearer feeling of purpose accompanying each dollar that is saved.

And for others, it's just talking about finances in a safe space, because it's helpful to get jumbled thoughts out of your head every so often.

It’s seeing that large bill and not skipping a heartbeat because you knew it was coming and was a normal cost of doing life.

It’s that bit of financial news or that stock tip from a friend that you can immediately dismiss as a waste of time.

It's knowing that even when finances feel chaotic, that you have a habit of reviewing and reflecting on your money life that will eventually put everything back into proper context.

“It feels so good to have a plan” is a universal experience of most everyone, but only because it’s a universal feeling.