| We’ve completed a second year in this pandemic that upended most of our habits and norms. Before we embrace a quasi-new normal and return to our old ways, we have an opportunity at the start of this year to pause, step back, and review what has and hasn’t worked in our lives. It’s natural that we should want our financial life to be supportive and in concert with our values and life choices. I encourage you to identify and mobilize behaviors that add energy and positive feelings into your life. This year, prioritize those healthy behaviors and do your best to eliminate or minimize the negative ones. The Milestones & Impressions notebook can help you create a personal record of what has added value and what makes you feel good each year. Over time, these notebooks will be a source of key events, patterns, and behaviors that mattered in your life. Possibly they will be a resource to help you identify what you wish to include in your ideal life. Ultimately the process of taking time to reflect provides greater satisfaction and increases financial resiliency (readiness to handle unexpected financial issues in an efficient and streamlined manner). Financially resilient people focus on things they can control, such as meaningful spending, rather than the things that are beyond our control like market behavior. Recent studies suggest that acknowledging the events that bring joy to your life and recognizing from time to time just how fortunate we are will help to increase financial resiliency, and in-turn, well-being. Be kind to yourself and take the New Year to reimagine yourself and your relationship with your finances. Here is to a hopeful and happy 2022! Edi Alvarez, CFP® BS, BEd, MS www.aikapa.com |
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