In July, my husband and I decided to take our boys on a two-week National Parks adventure at the end of August. We planned in weeks what most people would probably plan in months.
We flew to Montana, explored Yellowstone and Grand Teton, made a completely logical detour to Las Vegas to see the Backstreet Boys, picked up an RV (words I never thought I would write), and made our way through the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon and Zion before ending our trip in beautiful Banff.
It was ambitious. Maybe a little too ambitious. But it was exactly what we needed.
A Different Relationship With "Someday"
If you know me personally or have worked with me professionally, you know that I am a planner. Planning is quite literally what I do for a living. But this year has changed my relationship with the future. Losing my mom in May at only 64 years old taught me something I wish I could have learned differently: time is not an unlimited resource.
There will always be reasons to wait. Work is busy. The kids have activities. Flights are expensive. The timing isn't perfect. Maybe next year will be easier. Maybe we'll have more time. Maybe we'll have more money. “Someday” can become a very comfortable place to put the things we want to do, and lately, I've been much less comfortable with someday.
That was a big part of why we took this trip. We won't always have the health, time or freedom to disappear together for two weeks. So rather than putting another experience on the someday list, we went.
And along the way, I found myself thinking about the connection between that decision and the work I do every day.
What Are We Actually Planning For?
So much of financial planning is naturally focused on the future.
• How much do I need to retire?
• When can I stop working?
• How much should I be saving?
• Can I afford to buy this house?
• Will I have enough?
These are important questions, and we spend a lot of time helping our clients answer them. But there is another question that deserves just as much attention: What are you actually planning for?
The goal isn't simply to accumulate the largest possible account balance. Money is a resource, and ultimately, it should support the life you want to live. Sometimes that means delaying gratification, and sometimes the answer really is, "Not yet." Other times it’s, "Yes, but let's figure out how to do it responsibly." And sometimes you've saved, you've planned, you're on track, and the answer is simply: You have the freedom to say yes.
This trip reminded me that having enough money to do the things you want is only part of the equation. Having the time, the health and the people you love to experience them with matters too.
Why I Believe in Planning More Than Ever
I’ll admit, losing a parent too soon has made me question my work. When "life is short" and "YOLO" stop feeling like clichés and become very real reminders that none of us knows how much time we have, it’s hard not to ask: What is the purpose of all this planning if tomorrow is never guaranteed?
I've thought about that question a lot over the past several months, and I'm proud (and honestly relieved) to say that this experience hasn't changed my conviction in the work we do with our clients. If anything, it has deepened it.
It's made me even more committed to helping our clients think intentionally about what they want their lives to look like, not just someday in retirement, but along the way. Because once we understand what matters most to them, we can help them understand what's possible and make decisions that align their money with the life they actually want to live.
My mom is a perfect example. The planning we did allowed her to retire at 59. We had no idea at the time how meaningful that decision would become, but it gave her five years she otherwise would have spent working. Five years to slow down, travel, spend time with her grandchildren and simply enjoy a different pace of life. Had she waited until a more traditional retirement age, she may never have had that opportunity.
So no, losing my mom hasn’t made me question the value of planning. It has made me believe in it even more.
I don't believe that "life is short" means we should stop planning for tomorrow. Quite the opposite. A successful financial plan shouldn't only help you build a good life someday. It should help you live a good life along the way.
I'm still going to save for the future. I'm still going to plan and think about tomorrow. That's who I am, personally and professionally. But I'm also going to be a little less willing to postpone the things that matter.
Sometimes, you should take the trip.
I'm really grateful we did.
What Are We Actually Planning For?
