Why I Write (And How Writing a Blog Is Like Financial Planning)

Five years ago, I launched my company and created a blog. The purpose of my writing is the same today as it was in the beginning—sharing what I’ve learned through decades of working with people and their money. This includes timeless truths and lessons that aren’t obvious and often go overlooked. 

In my experience, an educated investor typically makes better decisions and carries less regret over the long run. Knowledge, not information, is the key to increasing one’s probability of success. This allows everyone to get what they want out of life and from their money. Ideally, my writing plays a supporting role, both for clients and fans, who must sort through a sea of choices.  

Writing provides me with the necessary reps to stay in the game and sharpen my communication skills. Of course, professional journalists have been writing about finance for much longer than I have. The elegance of their thoughts and words flows effortlessly across the page. But they write for large publications with agendas and deadlines. Who’s writing for the affluent investor today while working with that same investor one on one?

I am, which allows me to share a different viewpoint on cash, investments, and time. It’s this vantage point you won’t read about in brand name publications or from writers at financial firms with no client-facing responsibilities. They cast a wide net, where I write for a smaller community of professionals and families who are short on time and long on financial complexity.

Writing requires a process, a plan, ongoing conversations with oneself, and a lot of editing. My goal is to distill a message into an easily understood idea. The art of writing, like planning, is consistently evolving and must stay relevant regardless of what’s happening now.

I’d like to believe my blog provides readers space to think and reflect on an alternative approach to chasing more. I’ve discovered from personal experience that more is exhaustive, problematic, and disappointing. More can seem like the correct answer, but it rarely is. The right answer requires critical thinking, reflecting on your past, and strategizing forward.

More is everywhere and can easily become the default setting in many aspects of our lives. It’s in our social media feeds, at the office, and hanging with friends and family. It’s inescapable. 

I believe there is tremendous value in quantifying what “enough” looks like. This is personal; each investor needs to figure it out as our perceptions of money are unique. Couples need to discuss this too, prioritizing and agreeing on what enough looks like together.

What might be possible if you slowed down and really quantified what enough means to you? Would this change your current approach in handling financial decisions and where your time is spent? Answering these questions requires a better understanding of who you are, what you value, and what you want to become.

Your definition of enough will change over time as life changes and so will you. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Who we are and what we want doesn’t live in a vacuum. Our ecosystem works better, is healthier, and can sustain bouts of volatility and risk when we update our definition of “enough.” What’s the best approach?

Creating a financial plan, reflecting on it annually, and collaborating with a professional can bring accountability and structure into your conversations. When you right-size your definition of “enough,” you create the possibility of living your life with less worry and anxiety. You can lean on a process as opposed to outcomes. Trusting your gut and increasing your confidence with all decisions, not just financial ones. Most importantly, planning allows you to define the game that you want to play.  

Most investors are playing the wrong game. They want what others have believing this will make them feel better. Spoiler, it won’t. It took me a while to figure this out, which is why I write.  

Playing on your home field and not obsessing over the scoreboard shifts your perspective. Your approach to life, relationships, time, and money become clearer, leading to better decisions. This is what financial planning really is. Conversations that are much more rewarding than the digits in your accounts. 

I don’t believe most investors recognize this. I sense financial planning is still viewed as investment choices and rates of return. It’s not, so I’ll keep writing and sharing what I know.

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