Three Ways Gardening and Financial Planning Are Alike

I feel like I am always connecting my personal life to my work life… it’s a habit that I can’t break!

My wife and I were talking about what she was going to do in the new flower beds this year and it got me thinking. The time and effort Lori puts into the garden is very similar to the time and effort we dedicate to our clients. She and I both want to make sure that the work we do is strategic and in the end, successful. I thought it would be fun for this April blog post to share the three ways I noticed similarities between gardening and financial planning.

Planning

For Lori, planning her garden can be fun and relaxing! Lori first considers what the kids and I like to eat, the Spring and Summer recipes she has saved on Pinterest and the vibrant colors of the flowers we all enjoy. She then visits her favorite gardening stores or shops online to buy seeds and plants. Her next step is to decide when and where to plant. Looking up your first and last frost is important because you don’t want to start planting too early at the risk of not having healthy plants. You also want to make sure your plants are in the best possible location to receive the right amount of sunlight and rain. Lastly, she has to strategically plant underlying devices to keep the deer from eating them.

When comparing her work to our financial planning process, the similarities are amazing. It can be fascinating to look at your assets and see the potential in growing your plan. We take time to think about what you and your family need, want and enjoy. It’s important to focus on what is necessary to your family now, but also what you’ll need in the future. Then, you plan when you’ll get started with each process. Starting a process too early could potentially hinder what currently needs your attention, like cash flow versus credit card debts. Just like the invading deer for Lori’s flowers, financial plans face risks with the market and perhaps even job loss. We always take the time to make sure that clients are focusing on what’s important now and making note of when we need to start the next phase of their plan!

Upkeep

Maintaining your garden is a lot of hard work and can result in a few aches and pains. You’ll need to devote yourself to consistently giving your garden TLC. Weeding, pruning and removing infected plants are just a few of the things you’ll need to do. I always love to see Lori’s progress throughout the Spring and Summer months. She works hard to have a luscious and gorgeous garden for our family to enjoy.

We do the same when it comes to our clients’ plans. We watch over their investments, the market and any new laws that could affect their assets. Fluid and dynamic upkeep and maintenance on their financial plans are extremely important for the success of their future! In coordination with our clients, we devote a great amount of time to strategically plan their goals and want to see their assets grow over the years. When our clients are successful, we are successful.

Harvesting

When it comes time to harvesting her garden, Lori takes a tremendous sense of pride at what she has accomplished. It’s even better when everything is luscious and beautiful against the backdrop of the new house.

The same feeling occurs when it is time for your kids to go off to college and you know that all of your TLC has paid for their tuition. It’s even better when you turn on the monthly cash flow for retirement! You can focus on enjoying your next chapter or next trip, rather than worrying about how you will continue to afford to live. All of the time you dedicated with your advisor in saving for the future has paid off. You can now reap the benefits!

I am sure many of you were wondering how I would be able to pull off comparing gardening to financial planning, but at the end of the day when you love your job as much as I do, you can compare anything in your personal life to your career. I hope you found this month’s blog fun and interesting; maybe it has even inspired you to plant a beautiful garden this Spring!

If we can ever help you and your family with any questions or concerns on your financial plan, please don’t hesitant to contact us.

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