By Welcome to 2022! I hope everyone has recovered from the holidays and any overindulgences you may have enjoyed. Personally, I had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with my boys and my wife in our new home, along with my parents and close friends, and our wonderful Family Financial Partners staff. It was all magical, but now it’s time to dive into the new year with all of you!
You’ll be hearing from us soon to schedule your quarterly update meeting when the time comes, but to kick off January, I wanted to spend a few weeks talking about investing, although not simply in the traditional sense of how your 401(k) is allocated. We’ll be talking about all the ways we invest in ourselves, our families, our homes and our futures.
First though, let’s talk about you. They say if you aren’t taking care of yourself, you can’t take proper care of anyone else. So, how are you investing in yourself in 2022? For me, I’m embarking on a few weeks of focus on my physical health to make sure I stay on track with all the progress I’ve made in this area over the last six years. I need to stay healthy for my family – and for you, our valued clients. I’m also updating my personal goals as they pertain to my faith, my mental health, and how I spend my time outside of the office.
Whether or not you’re one who makes traditional New Year’s Resolutions, I encourage you to take some time this month to retreat to a solitary space and think about your personal goals. Grab your favorite beverage and a notebook. What will make you a better version of yourself for those you love? If it’s the traditional intention of exercising more and eating a healthier diet, great. But think outside the box too. Maybe you need to spend less time on social media and more time present with your family, or making your way through that stack of books that keeps getting taller. Maybe you want to start a meditation practice (check out the Calm app – it’s my favorite!), learn a new hobby, or reconnect with friends you haven’t spoken to in some time. What will feed your soul?
The last couple of years have been tough on all of us. I know it’s been easy to slip into bad habits as our collective stress levels have risen, and it seems like things may never get back to what we once thought of as normal. Trust me, I get it – I’ve struggled too. But there’s no time like the winter of a new year to reflect and hit reset.
How are you investing in yourself this month and throughout 2022? I’d love to hear your ideas if you’d like to share.
Article by David Smyth, Senior Partner at Family Financial Partners — a financial services firm in Lexington, Kentucky.
Download our FREE financial planning checklist here.
