If you can’t dance, don’t be put off by the title, but if you can, you’ll understand exactly what I’m about to say. The same goes for those of you who like sports such as cycling, swimming and running.
If you can find the right rhythm, everything feels effortless and you feel brilliant.
At this point, my team here at Blue Sky were fearful that I would start telling you about my new hobby… boxing. Yes, you’re never too old and if you happen to find your rhythm before you get bashed in the nose, this too feels great.
What strikes me, virtually every week in my role as a financial planner, is how important it is for us all to resonate with the natural rhythm in our life. To do this you have to be relaxed, confident, comfortable in your own skin, have a sense of purpose and have strong relationships around you. Just like with the exercise, when you find that sweet spot, it feels so good.
If, however, you are feeling anxious for whatever reason, it is really difficult to find your rhythm because you tend to experience waves of uncertainty and stress, which in turn can set your mind into overdrive. Before you know it, your life can be a cycle of peaks and troughs and it is not a nice place to be.
Last year I spoke at an event about well-being, held at the Hall & Woodhouse Brewery and hosted by the Dorset Chamber and Ouch Training. As I sat there listening to the speakers before me, it reinforced the extent to which many people struggle; be this around diet, weight, lifestyle, fitness, health and their own self-esteem. To some, this may be viewed as ‘fluffy’ and as someone said to me days afterwards, “they just want to get a grip and get themselves sorted”. Thankfully, there is more awareness and understanding from the majority!
Financial stresses have been linked to migraine, cardiovascular disease, absences from work, insomnia and more. As reported by everydayhealth.com, your finances and the amount of stress you feel as a result, can cause you to engage in a variety of unhealthy behaviours, from over-eating, to smoking, to experiencing feelings of hopelessness and depression.
My talk on the day was around financial well-being and i focused on how poor personal money management can have a huge impact on an individual’s ability to do their job. Studies show that this is not exclusive to those who are low paid, in fact, quite the opposite.
I’m sure everyone who is reading this blog agrees with me when I say that sadly young people don’t learn enough about how to manage money when at school. I’m now going to get on my soap box I’m afraid:
Education in its basic form has to provide young people with the essential skills to be able to function effectively and efficiently in adult society. An understanding of how to manage personal money has to be high on the agenda. In my opinion, a rethink is required!
It’s not only about learning at school though, the challenge then, is about keeping up to date with all manner of variables which can impact your financial decisions and future. As we all know, change can be exciting but it can also be seriously unsettling, especially if you don’t know what you are doing.
This is where financial planning comes into its own. Done properly it should help you sleep at night; it should explore your possibilities and create excitement about the future. By creating an emotional connection to the numbers, such planning helps you rest more easily, in the knowledge that you are going to be absolutely fine.
The title of this blog came about because someone I was talking to towards the end of last year was agitated and frustrated about their immediate cash-flow and pending tax liabilities. The stress was indeed keeping them awake at night and there was no doubt they were over-thinking on the downside. I have to tell you, this person is wealthy by most people’s measure. So I asked him if he was dancing to his natural rhythm? When I explained what I meant, he looked at me and said with no hesitation “no I’m not”!
He is a client and we have now evaluated his finances, improved his cash-flow, managed his tax liabilities better and I’m pleased to say his wife reports that he is so much more relaxed than he was before. He admitted that the worries around money had become all consuming.
Simply put, proper financial planning has removed his anxieties and worries and allowed him to look up, explore what’s possible and take those steps towards dancing to his natural rhythm. He now feels relaxed and upbeat.
His wife thanked me!
Best wishes
Gary
Gary Neild B.Sc.Hons. DipIP PFA
Managing Director
