Do you ever feel trapped by your routines? I have clients that recently had this experience. 

On the positive side, routine helps us accomplish essential activities such as going to work, getting the kids to school, or catching up on the news. We do this without much thought. On the flip side, the habitual nature of the activities may cause feelings of being dull, tired or trapped.

An important part of my role as a financial advisor is to help clients identify and then step outside of their routines. As a result, I see them grow stronger together as a family, to see things differently and to actively engage appropriate strategies. 

Goal-setting a Key Tool

Goal-setting is a key tool to help rise above the routine. It requires time for new activities. The comfortable routine is upset with the stress of action. New growth emerges along with excitement, fresh beginnings and often, beneficial results.

Back to my recent client experience. This couple admitted during our progress review that they struggled with their adult children, where a temporary financial arrangement had become inadvertently permanent. The parents were troubled as neither had imagined this outcome. Feeling locked into an uncomfortable situation, they saw no way out. I looked at them across the table, their arms crossed, eyes averted away from each other, and I felt their frustration.

Stepping Outside of the Routine

They needed new options they could not yet imagine. I helped them to reposition the problem in the context of their long-term financial goals. The overlay revealed their shared hopes for their children. They rediscovered their shared desire for a beneficial resolution. I exposed a new strategy to provide benefits to both kids and parents. It was a way out the routine that had become a pain-point. My clients faced each other anew with great relief. They were smiling again with hope for a positive path forward.

That’s the power of stepping outside your routine, and continuing to work your plan with the help of a trusted advisor. Goal setting and implementation is the beginning, but then you must relook at your progress. It’s important to put attention back on your plan – even the most routine parts that you take for granted – to discover areas that may be improved.