Staying Motivated
Keeping myself personally motivated and helping others become motivated are among my favorite aspects of life. It's really just a matter of being willing and able to change the lens through which you look at things and staying open to new and different ideas. The advisor industry is flush with new concepts and new ways to see, available from magazines like Financial Advisor, industry conferences, books, webinars, and more. You don't have to look far to get a different set of eyes or find innovative ideas. Your clients may need these same tools in pursuit of their passion. Encourage them to get involved with their chosen industry, to find a close set of peers with whom they can either develop a mastermind alliance or brainstorm with. Encourage them to leverage social media as a means of getting support as well as feedback on their ideas and endeavors.
One simple strategy for providing motivation and support to a client is to e-mail a motivational story or quote to them when you come across something moving. Over the years I have put together a number of short stories that deal with achieving success, which I read and e-mail to other passion pursuers when fitting. Here's one of my favorites:
On a cold, rainy Sunday morning a young preacher was trying to prepare his sermon for the day. He was struggling to find a personal message for the sermon with just the right example. His task was complicated by his young son Jimmy, who was bored and constantly interrupting him.
The preacher tried several activities to occupy little Jimmy but none of them were working, and time was becoming an issue. Frustrated, the preacher picked up an old magazine, quickly flipped through it, and finally stopped on a brightly colored picture of the world. He pulled the page from the magazine, cut the picture into bits and pieces, and scattered them on the floor. He told Jimmy, "If you can put this puzzle back together, I'll give you a dollar." The young preacher returned to his office thinking it would take Jimmy most of the morning.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock on his door and there stood Jimmy, smiling ear-to-ear with the puzzle completed. The preacher was shocked to see that Jimmy finished so quickly, with all the pieces neatly arranged and the picture of the world back in order. He asked his son, "How did you finish the puzzle so quickly?" Jimmy replied, "Easy! There was a picture of a person on the other side of the world. I just put a piece of paper on the floor, put the picture of the person back together, and then flipped it over. I figured if I got the person right, the world would be right too!"
The preacher laughed out loud and handed his son a dollar. He had his sermon for the day: "If the person is right, the world will be right too."
I believe there is great wisdom in this story and others like it, just as I believe there is a great future for advisors who are willing to take the extra time, energy and effort to help "get their clients right" because it will create the "right" future for our industry.
As financial professionals we have a very unique set of qualifications and experience that gives us insight into how and why people, businesses and organizations are successful. We work with so many types of people, all while running our own business; and that's why our opinions are sought on issues such as how best to manage a client's final career years, and how to begin pursing a dream or a passion. We have the skills and knowledge to help people make a major difference in their lives, as well as the world we live in.
How about you? Are you passionate about your work? How do you know it? Is it timeless, tireless, and does it cause contagious energy? I'd like to hear about it.
Robert Laura is the president of SYNEGOS Financial group, co-founder of RetirementProject.org, creator of the Laddered Dividend Portfolio, and author of Naked Retirement. He can be reached at [email protected].