It's The Journey That Counts
We recently climbed to the top of Mt.Whitney, the highest peak
in the continental United States. For a few minutes, we were the
tallest people in the United States. It was beautiful, exhilarating,
exciting to be standing there after a very difficult hike. We all
put our names in the register to mark our achievement and we each
wrote our own message in the register. When I signed in, I was thinking
about what to write as a message. Would it be about how difficult
the climb was, would it be about the accomplishment, what would
I say? All of a sudden I wrote, O.K. What's Next. Yes we had accomplished
something we set out to do, yes we struggled along the way but it
wasn't the end. There were other things to accomplish. As I thought
back on the hike, and everything that went into reaching the top,
I remembered back to a sermon that Dr. Jim Mahin had given many
years before, that he titled " It's the Journey That Counts." The
exhilaration of reaching our goal was great. We were able to stand
on the top of Mt. Whitney and look at the beauty below us and realize
that we had reached this one destination.
As I look back on the experience, the planning, the trek up the
mountain, I also realize that yes it really was the Journey that
counted, that this was not a final destination but just one more
experience along the way. The thing I will most remember will be
the journey, the friends I shared this with, and all the obstacles
we had overcome along the way. As I was walking the 11 miles back
to where we started, I was struck by how similar the experience,
this journey, was to the profession I had chosen over 20 years ago.
I thought about the financial goals my clients choose and the journey's
we have taken together to reach those goals.
We plan for retirement, we plan for our children's education,
we plan for so many goals but when we reach them, we realize that
the journey continues, we haven't reached the finish line, there
is more to be done, to accomplish. We couldn't have hiked Mt. Whitney
without prior planning. We had to set our goal. Starting when the
thought first came into our head, we had to figure out what it would
take to reach the top. At first we had to figure out where Mt. Whitney
was, how high was it, how long would it take us, how strenuous would
it be, what would we need to bring, who would go with us, what would
stand in our way, where were we starting from (i.e.), what was our
physical conditioning, would we have to train, build up our stamina.
Again, this is exactly what we do everyday when we work with clients
to reach their financial goals. Lets look at the goal of retirement
and being financially independent. How do we plan for this goal?
Do we realize that retirement isn't a stopping point, not the finish
line? To reach our goal we have to start by defining what the goal
really is. Is it actually retirement? What does that look like,
will we totally stop working, what will we be doing at that time,
where will we live, who will our friends be, how much money or assets
will we need? Often times, as we examine our goals such as retirement,
we realize that retirement doesn't mean we are going to stop working,
that we won't continue to pursue a career or some other types of
fulfilling endeavors such as volunteering, a new career, something
we have always wanted to do. What it may mean is having reached
financial independence where we can do what we want, when we want
without financial concerns.
So how is reaching the goal of financial independence similar
to climbing Mt. Whitney? We have to develop a plan. Where are we
starting from, what is the goal, what actions will we need to take,
what obstacles may get in our way, who are we going to take with
us on our journey? The first step is to figure out where we are
starting from.
Since we are talking abut financial independence, what assets
do we have now, how many assets will we need to reach our goal,
what is our income now, how much can we save, what is our earning
potential along the way, what if we lose a job, how will we plan
for and overcome that obstacle, what else could slow us down, how
will we work through these road blocks? At times it won't be easy
but with the goal clearly in mind, with prior planning, with the
help of the team members, we can reach any goal we set for ourselves.
Hiking to the top of Mt. Whitney and reaching financial independence
is really quite the same process. Find the dream, set the goal,
take the actions, plan for obstacles, do the work. Remember, "It's
The Journey That Counts." It's not just the destination, it's not
just about the money. It's about family, friends, adventure, achievement,
health, integrity, service, personal growth, wisdom, knowledge,
and much more along the way. It's The Journey That Counts.
Click here
for more pictures of the climb.
