Clients coming to the office
Over the last few years I have encouraged clients to come into the office for meetings. I was nervous at first having previously met at their office or home, but the results have been interesting. Instead of people being resistant they have been keen. They want to meet the staff and see the office all to gain an understanding about the firm they entrust so much to.
The surprising result is the benefit. One client, who had driven for about an hour, wrote afterwards:
My wife and I had the best conversation ever on the drive home
“All the points that were raised we discussed further and we really communicated in a way that would not have happened had the meeting been held in our house or my office. If we had tried to have the same discussion at home it would have lasted two minutes, due to all the distractions and the fact that you can’t get out of a car at 70mph on the motorway – you have to talk!”
Whether to plan
I sometimes come across a little resistance to the planning idea. There is a thought that by planning expectations in life and ensuring the finances are all in place, takes out all the spontaneity and excitement from life and everything becomes so predictable.
This is an understandable feeling but pure observation shows it not to be true.
Take the weekly shopping trip
If the weekly shop is done without a list, then items will be forgotten. Creating a shopping list in a vacuum can be difficult but if it is clear which meals are to be catered for, how many are to be catered for, then the generating of a shopping list becomes easier and the whole process more effective and satisfying.
Stress and trauma is taken away as everything has been considered. All can sit and enjoy
So it is with financial life planning, having some idea of what the game plan is, what does it look life if it were good, what does it look like if it were bad, gives us an objective. Yes, the objective will change and for good reason, we are humans our life expectations will vary, but folk who do put some planning to work, say afterwards there is a sense of control and peace that comes from it.