Seasons fill me with mixed feelings. While I love the colourful splendor of fall and the promise of spring, cooling temperatures make me dread the winter to come. Summer shows off growth in my garden and burdens me a variety of outdoor tasks previously hibernating under the blanket of winter. Deeper than that, though, is the quickening reminder of the passing of time. No matter the season, I never feel like its all done – that I can now rest or take it easy. It seems the busier I become the more I have to do.
It reminds me of the booklet Tyranny of the Urgent, by Charles E. Hummel. A timeless reminder that that urgent things, busy things, often unimportant things, usually take priority over the critically important things in life. Of course, we all know this and sometimes we get that tap on the shoulder that makes us pause, reflect and consider the sheer busy-ness of our lives and whether it is really worth our time, attention and focus.
This past winter when the ice storm hit some of us hard, was one of those times. The bare essentials of keeping warm and heating our food, was front and centre in our minds. When those primary essentials were handled, I must admit that guilt-free, I read a book. I actually read a book, and it was great. After all, there were no emails to read and respond to, no tv, streaming, shopping, texts and calls – the usual things that fill our lives. Suddenly the pace of life was drastically slower and while the sound of tree limbs crashing to the ground was daunting and the concerns over the safety of family was primary, I actually enjoyed that break from all the pressure and stress normally in my life.
I am sharing this with you because for me, this is one piece of what we provide for our planning clients, whether they are taking stock of their current financial situation, or planning for their estate, business succession, or the like. In our process, clients step away from the busy-ness of life to pause, breathe, and focus on what truly matters most to them, enjoying guided and thoughtful conversations that bring clarity and confidence to their decisions. What they value in their relationships, what lessons they learned, and what they hope their children are learning, or have learned from them. Our planning sessions are meaningfully constructed to not just consider money or assets, but more importantly, how best to use those things to bless those around them.
Of course, they go back to their busy lives, but with the freedom that comes from knowing that they have taken time away from the urgent to make sure the important things are done, and that they are done well.