Today marked the end of my twelve years as a financial planner. Ending a twelve year career that had a remarkable impact on my life comes with a vast array of emotions. I probably won’t feel the entire range until months from now. What I feel now is excitement. I started here when I was 21 years old and did so as it was my best option. It was a great decision and I have my Father to thank for it. Now I am going into the unknown because I see it as the next step. Ironically, a lot of what I learned here was a driving force to make the big change.
We always need to be learning, growing, and changing. To stay completely stagnant for long periods of time will bring anxiety and concern. This is why career changes are more frequent now than they have ever been. We live in a society that changes faster than we can keep up. What we do have control over is our consistency, work ethic, and values. This ensures that whatever the world throws at us, we’ll do just fine. If we all think back on what has shaped our lives we’ll see the extreme stresses we faced as defining moments. The decisions we made at that very moment had large consequences. It didn’t matter if we got it right or wrong. Either outcome came with its own lesson.
Our hindsight is always 20/20 and our natural curiosity will always wonder which was the better decision. These moments can consume us and severely impact our futures. I have no doubt I will have moments when my decision to leave the financial planning biz will be questioned. I expect it and I’ll deal with it when the time comes. What I ask from all of you is support. I am taking a large risk striking out on my own and I really won’t be able to do it without you. I will not be getting into another career or a nine to five job for quite some time. My focus will be to try new things and learn new things. Society tends to unknowingly turn away from entrepreneurs. Yet, these people are the ones who are responsible for most of the things that have a positive impact on our lives.
When I wake up Monday morning my only obligation of the day will be to feed the cat at 4pm. From there I’ll be building up my own schedule and I have no concerns that I won’t be busy enough. The opportunities out there for me (and you) are there for the taking. Never has there been a time where so many options exist. If you feel hesitation or fear about making such an endeavor, just give it five minutes. Five minutes talking to someone successful, reading a book, or writing out a plan will give you the confidence to achieve things that seem out of reach. Actions will always cure fear.
I sincerely thank everyone involved in my career as a financial planner. The diversity of the situations I encountered shaped me into the person I am today. I will carry those lessons learned for a lifetime. Wish me luck as my road ahead has no defined destination… Yet!
Started when I was 21… Now 33, smarter! right?
