When Anna sat down for her first meeting with a Registered Life Planner™, she had no idea that in six months she would be living her biggest dream.
Anna had just turned 44 and went seeking a financial planner for investment advice for excess savings, to make sure she’s saving properly for retirement, and to develop a relationship with a planner. She wanted to take control of her finances in a way her parents never did.
She went into the initial consultation ready to talk about her income, savings, investment accounts, 401(k), mortgage — all things related to her money and finances. It was unexpected when the advisor only spent about 10 minutes on those things before moving on. This advisor wanted to know about Anna’s life.
What’s important to you
“What’s important to you?” the advisor asked.
Anna thought about it and gave some financial-adjacent answers, keeping it short, expecting to get back to the numbers at any moment. But soon it became clear that the advisor really wanted to know. This advisor truly wanted to hear about Anna’s ideal life; what she wants out of life; what’s most important to her. And through the video conference, Anna could sense that the advisor was ready to listen.
So Anna started talking. She was enjoying the interaction. She talked for half an hour about small frustrations with her work and her love of travel and that she wishes she could do more volunteering and how she loves spending time with her nieces and nephews.
The advisor kept listening. Even through a long silent moment …
Which ended when Anna, wide-eyed, surprised both of them by blurting out: I want to fly. I want to learn to fly a plane.
At last, the hidden dream came up from the depths and into the light.
Once it was out there, Anna was hit by anxiety, thinking, “This is a crazy notion I might do ‘someday’ but what am I doing telling this person today? Where did that come from?” Yet, the reaction from the advisor was only shared enthusiasm and positive regard. She felt supported and free to continue.
After Anna said all she had to say about her dream of flying — which wasn’t just a notion but a long-time private longing — and the other pieces of her ideal life, they wrapped up the meeting and scheduled the next 3 meetings during which they would develop her Financial Life Plan.
A dream grounded in financial reality
Over the next few weeks, Anna kept thinking about that blurt. All at once it felt like a distant dream and something of urgent importance. She thought how her advisor had shown nothing but excitement and support for the idea, and had actually helped to show her a vision of what her life could be with flying in it.
When the Financial Life Plan was complete, its charts and numbers added a groundedness to Anna’s goals. The advisor walked her through the comprehensive plan, highlighting that the investment plan and savings plan showed room in the budget to do the thing she always wanted to do. With that, she had the full realization: there’s no good reason to keep putting off my dream.
She started to agree that she should be able to have this for herself … now. How could she get this into her life today?
Life planning is financial planning done right
Three months passed, and Anna was really looking forward to her check-in meeting with her advisor. She had never felt more secure and confident about her financial life. She felt like she had a plan that put all her life priorities in order. And her advisor was an active partner — helping her make decisions and overseeing her plan and investments — as well as someone who shared in the joy of her accomplishments.
So she couldn’t wait to share her news. In some ways it felt like a small addition — a small thing that made a huge difference. She had done her research, found the right place, and started taking lessons. She was flying.
Anna’s experience is what you can expect at Pearl Financial Planning. This is the story of a real client — with names and specifics changed — who started living her dream after going through the life planning process. If you’re interested in developing a Financial Life Plan, request a complimentary consultation.
About the Author
Gretchen Behnke, CFP®, RLP®
Gretchen Behnke is a fiduciary financial planner in Plano, TX. Pearl Financial Planning is a fee-only firm providing full financial planning and investment management services to independent professional women and couples. Serving local clients in-person or virtually, and virtual meetings for clients across the country.