Struggling With Your Financial Plan? Try This.

Completely unplug for a week.

Yup, that's essentially it.

As many of you know, I just returned from a two week trip through southwest Colorado and the middle of nowhere Utah. Melissa and I packed up the kids in our new renovated pop-up camper to celebrate surviving 10 years of marriage.

You can check out our pictures HERE.

I spent a lot of time reflecting while out on hikes, sitting by the fire, and driving across endless stretches of lonely desert highway. Connecting with my wife, kids, parents, and friends along the journey reminded me of all the useless crap that has become my life. For example, how much time was I wasting watching stupid tv shows at night instead of reading books? Why was I spending endless hours playing games on my iPad?

Were these things really enhancing my life?

Imagine eliminating all the unnecessary garbage we fill our days with! Life would probably slow down a bit, those annoying work emails would feel less burdensome, and your relationships would no doubt improve. Most important, our stress levels and anxiety would decrease.

When we feel stress our bodies release cortisol from our adrenal glands. The slow drip of Cortisol impairs rational thinking, decision making, energy levels, and our ability to focus. In our modern toxic culture, we are biologically programmed to make bad decisions and justify putting off tasks that we know truly matter (but don't do anything about).

This is where financial planning enters the conversation.

You can't expect to get your finances organized if you're zapped by lunchtime! It's all you can do to get through your work day and throw together something marginally edible for dinner. Maybe you have a drink (or two) to settle yourself after a long day. Before you know it it's 10 PM and the day is gone. Then you're jolted awake by the alarm at 6 AM, gulp down too much coffee, and repeat the process. Assuming you make it to the weekend, you justify not doing anything because you've earned it. Financial tasks postponed, again.

Sound familiar?

Getting your financial plan on track takes work. But, I promise that if you put in the effort, the satisfaction from knowing your money is completely dialed in far exceeds the temporary reward of binge watching Westworld and mindlessly scrolling through Facebook.

So tell your superior at work you're taking some time off this summer. Go somewhere inspiring. While you're away, do not check email and do not watch/read any news. Think about which distractions you can eliminate from your life. Talk about it with those closest to you.

When you get back, you'll feel a little lighter, you'll sleep a bit better, and work tasks will feel easier. Take this awesome opportunity to focus on things that truly matter; connecting with family & friends, decluttering your house, and updating & executing that financial plan you've been putting off.

You're welcome.