What's Your Perfect Day?

One of the cornerstones of making a financial plan is to identify and clarify goals: what do you want to be, have, or do, and when do you want it to happen? And I think having big goals is really important: they help give your life purpose & something to look forward to, and often let you accomplish more than initially seemed possible – even if you don't ultimately reach said goal.

Here's an example: let's say I set a goal to finish a new album by the end of the year. And let's say that on 31 December I'm only 75% of the way there. So in one sense I failed at my goal; but in another sense, I still have a lot more to show for it than if I hadn't set the goal at all. Even failing to reach a goal can be a big win.

So goals are great. I like goals and set new ones all the time. But one downside I've noticed is that asking people to identify their goals tends to only focus on the big stuff while overlooking everyday quality of life issues.

Here's what I mean: let's say I ask a question like, "what would you do if money was no issue?" Most people tend to name really ambitious (and expensive) things, like owning a vacation house or traveling the world. Those are great dreams to have and make excellent goals, no doubt.

But now consider question like, "what's a perfect day look like for you?" The answers I tend to hear are much more within reach (and much less expensive) like reading a book, making art or playing music, spending time with friends & family, etc.

And too often (including in my own life), pursuing those big, ambitious goals steps all over the smaller, everyday activities that define a perfect day. Again, I like goals a lot. Goals are important. But I also think that spending a little more time & energy on those "perfect day" activities would have a huge impact on quality of life with little to no negative impact on the big goals. In fact, I hypothesize that you'd be more successful in pursuing your goals if you also enjoyed your life a bit more along the way.

So how to proceed?

Aside from the scale difference between goals and perfect day activities, one important distinction jumps out: most of the "perfect day" ideas are things you can do right now, often for cheap or free. So while you might not be able to afford one or two big, month-long vacations each year, you can probably afford to find an extra hour or two each week for more of your "perfect day" stuff. And it seems to me that the return on investment for prioritizing a slightly more perfect day-to-day experience will be huge in the long run with – again – no negative impact on the bigger, long-term goals.

Here's an easy challenge for this weekend: write down three things you would do on a perfect day, then carve out at least an hour for just one of them. Even a very busy weekend probably allows for a little more time with a book or a visit with a friend. Then ask yourself: could I do this every weekend – or even several times a week? And is would doing so be a net positive for my life?

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

Bonus: pair this idea with the Wim Wenders movie "Perfect Days".

Thanks,

Timothy Iseler, CFP®

Founder & Lead Advisor

Iseler Financial, LLC | Durham NC | (919) 666-7604

Iseler Financial helps creative professionals remove stress while taking control of their financial lives. We'll help identify your current strengths and weaknesses, clarify and refine your long-term goals, and prioritize decisions to improve your financial well-being now and later. Reach out today to take the first step.