By Sarah Chisholm
Financial Advisor, O’Farrell Wealth & Estate Planning | Assante Capital Management Ltd.
Typically, as the snow begins to melt, I begin preparing lists of all the amazing things I want to do in the summer. I daydream about family adventures and personal goals to reach. However, as we move into the summer months it is easy to get pulled in multiple directions. Every weekend there is a different event or family occasion requiring your participation and the work week flies by as you also try to coordinate your schedule with daycare and summer camps. Do you ever get halfway through the summer and realize you have not checked off anything on your list?
A strategy that we use in the investment world is to take small steps and then gradually grow towards bigger goals. When looking at a Wealth Plan it is easy to say “well if I saved $10,000 annually, I could meet my retirement goals”. Saving $10,000 in a year, however, especially in a lump sum, is difficult to achieve. Rather than aiming too high, start small. Incorporate a $50 biweekly or $100 biweekly until that becomes routine, and then add to that amount. Overtime you may increase your contributions to $384 biweekly and realize you are now on track to meet that bigger $10,000 per year goal.
Start small, build confidence, meet your goals.
For the summer I recommend:
- Pick one family goal for the summer. Don’t worry about creating endless lists of places to visit and things to try. Pick one thing to do as a family and build that into your schedule over the next 2 weeks. Maybe it’s fishing at the local boat launch or visiting the nearest splash pad. Just work towards the one goal and then when it is complete re-assess and pick a new goal. Take small steps rather than trying to tackle a huge master plan for the summer.
- Choose one personal goal for the summer. This could be to read a specific book, try a certain restaurant or master a certain video game. Again, reach one goal and then re-assess and bring a new target into sight. Take the time to congratulate yourself on the small success so that you can create momentum for the next.
Whether on the personal side or the investment side starting with small steps will lead to greater success. Get rid of those massive lists and works towards small achievable goals. At the end of the summer, you’ll be amazed at all the family adventures and personal goals you have met.
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Sarah Chisholm is a Financial Advisor with Assante Capital Management Ltd. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of Assante Capital Management Ltd. Please contact her at 613.258.1997 or visit ofarrellwealth.com to discuss your circumstances prior to acting on the information above. Assante Capital Management Ltd. is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.
