Music Mondays - One Step at a Time
One Step at a Time
I recently met with new clients and laid out for them their financial plan. There are a number of things they want to accomplish and one of them is buying a home. Before they met with me, they assumed they would buy their first home in a year; however, after I laid out the financial reality to them, they realized it might take longer than the year they were hoping.The next day my client emailed me in a panic and wondered if home ownership was ever going to happen for them. Seeing the actual numbers of their dream looked like a massive mountain ahead of them; but I told her to calm down and take a deep breath. Yes, the total numbers are large and seem insurmountable; however, one step at a time they will get there.
Words of Wisdom
I love this song by Jordin Sparks, former American Idol contestant, because it’s a great reminder that our life journeys happen one step at a time.
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen and we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
I reminded my client that she needed a huge dose of patience and she needed to work toward this goal one day at a time. When she wrote me back she confessed that patience is something that she often feels short of, and she is not alone. I know very few people in my life (myself included) who have tremendous patience, especially as we are trying to achieve what seems like mountainous sized goals.
My One Step at a Time Journey
I left my former employer almost two years ago with the dream of revolutionizing financial planning, and with each passing month after leaving, I wondered if my dream would ever become a reality. Over the past two years, I have had days where I felt as though I could see the pinnacle of my mountain only to be followed up by days where it felt like an avalanche struck and there was no clear path to the top. On the days where the goal seemed clear, I felt like anything was possible, and on the other days, I wanted to pack up my bags and go home.I give my clients the advice to take one step at a time towards their goals and I give myself the same advice. It’s simple, basic and true, but not always what we want to hear.
Big dreams excite and inspire us and we want to achieve them as soon as possible, but if we rush through the process, we miss out on the learning opportunities that present themselves with each day and each step of the process.
I look back on the past two years, and it feels as though I am looking down from a tall mountain, and I can’t believe how much I have accomplished. I know I have a long way to go, but I am thankful for what I have learned thus far and despite the fact that I want to reach the top sooner than later, I really have to admit that in my heart of hearts, I am enjoying each step in my journey.So if you are in the middle of a long journey to achieve a big goal and you get frustrated by what’s ahead of you, remember how far you have come from where you started. Look back at each step and remember that you learned something along the way and you will continue to learn something. Take a deep breath, ask for patience, and maybe play some Jordin Sparks to remind you that “it’s gonna happen when it’s supposed to happen and we find the reason why, one step at a time.”