14 years ago, on August 25, 2008, I officially became a financial planner.
Here are the top 3 things I’ve learned so far.
1. There’s an endless supply of energy when you’re working for something bigger than yourself.
People (and especially my mom) ask me why and how I work so much. The truth is I’m not a workaholic. I’m just so freakin’ obsessed with our mission that I can’t NOT work. Financial Zen isn’t just a job or even a career. It’s my calling. And that is a VERY renewable energy source.
2. Sometimes it’s better not to know.
If I had known 14 years ago the sacrifices I would have to make to be here today, I might not have started. (Ahh, the blissful ignorance of youth.)
But having made those sacrifices, I’m now very aware that the next stage of my journey will probably require more from me than I could possibly imagine today. And if I think about that too hard, I get overwhelmed by the size of my vision.
During those times I just try to regain my ignorant beginner’s mind and remind myself that putting one foot in front of the other, generally pointed in the right direction will eventually get you to the mountaintop.
3. The race is long… and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
(I’m not sure I’ve LEARNED this as much as I’m LEARNING this.)
I’m not short on ambition. And that means I tend to live in the future. I always want to already be at the top of the mountain (and be the first one there).
But the truth is, the point of climbing the mountain isn’t just to summit. After all, once you get there, you’ll just immediately look for the next mountaintop to conquer.
And getting there “first” is pretty much impossible. Of all the people in all the world through all of human history, whatever you’re doing has probably been done before.
So what else is there than to just enjoy the climb? (It’s such a simple lesson, and yet it’s the hardest one to learn)
It’s been a crazy journey so far and I expect the next 14, 28, (42?) years to be no less exciting.
As Jim Rohn said, it’s not where your going that’s important, but rather who you become along your journey.
