The movie classic Gone With the Wind ends with Scarlett O’Hara…procrastinating.  “I’ll think about that tomorrow,” she declares in her exaggerated Southern drawl. “After all, tomorrow IS another day.” I can’t tell you how often I meet people who embrace that “later” mindset when it comes to their financial futures. They say things like, “I […]

How much does confident optimism matter in the marketplace—for job hunters, salespeople, entrepreneurs, and investors?  That’s the subject we began exploring last week. We said that every person has a built-in emotional thermometer that measures how they’re feeling from one situation to the next.  Some “run” a higher emotional temperature. That is, they’re usually “up” […]

I’m a financial planner, not a therapist. Nevertheless, I want to talk about your emotions. (Relax. I’m not trying to be Dr. Phil here. This will all make sense shortly.) We need to discuss emotions because everyday job situations and money matters stir up strong feelings inside us. And our reactions in those moments have […]

Your mutual fund got clobbered in 2023. You’re wondering if your mutual fund manager is out of sync with the times. How long do you wait before you dump him/her? Therein lies the problem with looking solely at last year’s results—they are so…last year. To fix something that’s not working, you have to analyze not […]

Bob claims he wants a second home on a lake where he can build memories with his kids. He’s asking, “How do I accomplish my goal?” To be fair, Bob’s “goal” is really more of a daydream at this point. Nothing wrong with that. Daydreams are harmless fun. They CAN lead to goals; usually, however, […]

Last week we met Ron and Sharon, the couple who started a little side hustle, watched it boom into a profitable business, and then lamented how this “blessing” of a company had completely overtaken their lives.  I described three stages many business owners go through. I argued that the essence of contented simplicity is saying […]