The first weekend in March marked the 13-year anniversary in our current home. Luckily, the weather was pre-spring perfect, so I celebrated by prepping my yard for springtime planting. As I bustled around the yard, listening to the neighborhood sounds, I thought about how many things have changed since we moved in and allowed myself to dream a bit about the possibilities for the coming year.
As I raked leaves, cut back the few remaining hydrangeas, mowed the lawn and pulled weeds. I started thinking about how my yearly planning and plotting in the garden has similarities to how we approach financial planning.
- The past is the past. There is something very satisfying in starting the season fresh without the baggage of last year’s garden mistakes. We approach our relationship with our clients the same way – your past is the past. Yes, please make us aware of outstanding debts, bad investments, choices that didn’t work out as expected, etc., but we’ll learn from them together, and with optimism.
- Plotting for future dreams. In early spring, my yard is like a fresh canvas with all kinds of possibilities. But then I remember the late afternoon shade of the neighbor’s tree and the perennials in the one garden bed that I need to work around with future crops. At Johnson Bixby, we help you plan for tomorrow, taking time to understand your unique situation, goals and challenges. We create a comprehensive financial plan and show you the potential.
- There are always surprises in life. I remember when we looked at our home in late January before we purchased it, the backyard was so open, with a lovely herb garden and hydrangeas. But wow – come May – there was a lot more that we didn’t even know existed because it was dormant. Our financial planners have experience looking out beyond the horizon and knowing what “surprises” may arise based on your individual circumstance. Of course, they can’t predict everything but it’s helpful to have an experienced partner to guide you through the unknown territory.
- Regular check-ins with an expert are crucial to growth. Annually we have a professional trim back the larger trees in our yard. The arborist comes out before the work starts and we walk around the yard and talk about the changes we need to make for the health of the trees and our desires for our yard. Our annual review meetings with clients are similar, they are a time to review, make tweaks and pivot financial plans for things that are unexpected. We help keep you accountable to achieve your goals and dreams.
All of us from Johnson Bixby wish you a happy Spring, in the garden, and out.
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