Money Illustrated Turns 1: My Favorite Lessons from the Past Year

We are capable of doing hard things.

I’ve had to do so many jobs I’m unqualified for, but with each one comes learning opportunities, and increased confidence in my abilities. This also makes me appreciate the times I can outsource and rely on others’ knowledge, experience, and skills. And it makes me really look forward to hiring in the future!

I am also perpetually impressed with my clients and the hard things I get to witness them accomplishing in their lives. Not only in making financial changes or progress towards goals, but all the various challenges that life can surprise us with. It is such an honor to share in your journeys.

It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it must be done.

As Voltaire said, “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” It is too easy to find all the reasons not to produce anything at all. The first version does not have to be the last or best version (and it’s often better if it’s not). Social media and blogging are great examples of this – I never feel like it’s quite good enough, and it keeps me from posting consistently. But we all must start somewhere or end up going nowhere.

‍This is also true when it comes to taking steps toward better managing our finances. Perfect systems don't exist, but some system and plan is better than nothing, every time.

Community matters.

I had the privilege and luck to find a mentor about 6 weeks after launching my business. She has been such a support, helping me see the big picture. She shows me where I could be in five years if I stick with it and keep trusting the process.

Having self-employed friends and groups has also been invaluable. People in the trenches with you just GET IT. Whatever your trench might be, don’t wade through it alone. If it's financial stress or uncertainty that you're dealing with, don't conclude that you're someone who wouldn't benefit from working with a financial planner! There are so many types of planners/advisors, and a whole range of fee structures out there. Try searching for what you need and see what happens. Whether you're looking for holistic financial planning, investment management, or accountability while you work towards your financial goals, there is a coach, planner, or advisor out there who can't wait to work with you.

Ebbs and flows are natural and inevitable, and the ebbs don’t equal failure.

Some months are amazing, and I feel unstoppable. Others are stressful and expensive and nothing seems to go the way I wanted. But I try to keep reminding myself that as in life, running a business is not always sunshine and roses. When the storms come, I get caught in thinking they will last forever. But they never do. They never will.

It's the same with our financial lives. Some months we're fixing our garage door, replacing brake pads, and taking a grumpy cat to the emergency vet because she swallowed a ribbon! (sigh). Other months, we get a windfall or a tax refund or our Costco cash or we just feel really good about our financial situation. We can't hyper-focus on the short-term ebbs and flows, because what matters most is the big picture and the direction we're heading over time.

The more authentically you show up, the more things will fall into place.

I can’t stress this enough. The more I live my life in ways that feel right to me, the more I am simply myself and don’t try to be the picture I imagined of what a “good” financial planner looks like, the better everything goes. The clients that find me are people I genuinely enjoy working with, and that is the very best part of this journey.

I believe our financial situations improve when we live our most authentic lives. It helps us be directional, to focus on what we care most about, to put our money where our values lie. Budgeting feels easier when we realize the things we're spending on might not be what really matters most to us.

Overall, I am grateful.

I am just so grateful. I try not to take it for granted that this year went so much better than I imagined it would (and I am someone who is working on managing chronically unrealistic expectations).

I am grateful to my family and friends, to the people who believed in me when I doubted myself.

I am so, so grateful to my wonderful clients. Thank you for trusting me, thank you for exchanging your money and time for my advice and planning. It is truly a privilege, one that I do not take lightly, to be invited into such intimate parts of your lives.

I am so grateful to you, the one reading this right now. Thank you for following along, for commenting, sharing, supporting. I know I receive that support and energy in various ways, and it truly helps.

Here's to another year!