Summary: The Type of PAIN We Should Avoid The first quarter of a year is a crucial time for many businesses and individuals. It’s a time for setting projections, establishing goals, and implementing strategies for the coming year. This is particularly true when it comes to reaching a higher level of success that will exceed that of the previous year. From the high level executive circles to front line employees, chances are that this is the time when everybody gets charged up in making changes to improve their bottom line. This is a time when many of these folks are feeling something called PAIN, which stands for Pushback Against Ideas that are New. It’s human nature to resist change and until we can help ourselves, this type of PAIN will keep us from the right kind of growth. A good way to determine if we’re pushing back against new ideas is to recognize when we’re doing the same things we’ve always done but are expecting different results. This is especially common in regards to people doing the same old things with their money and ending up losing it. They may encounter market volatility or find that they’re in a higher tax bracket at retirement than they expected. If they are unwilling to make some changes, they will find themselves in PAIN. Why are we so bound and determined to stay within the proverbial comfort zone of what we know? The answer is too often that we’re simply trying to take the path of least resistance. We become content to meander through life with the least amount of effort yet we’re surprised when our results don’t change. Meaningful growth only happens when we are willing to get out of the comfort zone and to push ourselves into new realms of success. When We Stretch We Grow Every challenging new experience is likely to bring butterflies to our stomachs. But we learn to tame them through practice and improvement. What started out as shaky can become our greatest strengths through persistence. One of the criteria to look for when considering whether to seize any new opportunity is whether it will cause us to stretch. We can learn to run toward the pain with anticipation because we understand that the magic happens when we get out of the comfort zone. This principle applies to everything in life. For example, consider what happens when we choose to learn a new language. At first it’s confusing and difficult and everything sounds like gibberish. But by stepping out of the comfort zone and persisting in our efforts, we soon learn to connect with others in a new and wonderful way. Getting past the comfort zone also applies to financial planning. Following the crowd is too often the path of least resistance. But we can break free and start adopting financial planning strategies that provide greater liquidity, safety, and rate of return. At first it’s common for people to pose a little resistance, after all, these strategies aren’t what they learned in their business or economics classes. But as they take the time to understand the principles and elements of prudent investing, they set in motion the actions that lead to abundant lives. But first, they must stop following the crowd. If you’ve been putting your retirement savings into IRAs or 401(k)s or sending extra principal money to your mortgage company, you’re still following the crowd. Continuing to follow the path of least resistance will likely lead to terrible disappointment. On the other hand, stepping out of the comfort zone and learning and living the proper strategies can position you to enjoy liquid assets safely earning a predictable rate of return. The discomfort is short-lived. The growth and gains are real. Learn more by visiting with a wealth architect today.
