This might sound crazy, but I enjoy mowing our lawn….
On Friday I decided to mow the lawn. Nothing unusual about it, except that by the time I started it was almost midday and it was 34 degrees in the hot Brisbane sun. The thought went through my head; why do you do this to yourself every week?
It is a good question, one that my wife has asked more than once. You see I usually mow on the weekend, and this does take time away from the family. So now I mow on a weekday, taking time away from my business to make sure our lawn (and to me, our house), looks presentable.
We aren’t strangers to the idea of outsourcing. We have a lovely lady that cleans our house for a couple of hours each week, and we have a personal trainer that keeps me from putting on more weight than I otherwise would.
And then it hit me, the truth is I enjoy mowing the lawn and trimming trees and pulling weeds. Perhaps I don’t love it when it is 34 degrees out, but I genuinely enjoy the time, and the visible results of a job well done.
I, however, don’t love cleaning on any level, and I don’t love exercise. It comes to an early morning run or cycle, and unless there is someone I am heading out with, the brain says “do it tomorrow”. So I pay someone… I know how to lift a weight, do a squat, and everything else training involves. But I don’t do it. By having Francine, our personal trainer there asking me to do those things, I actually do them. It isn’t about pushing harder; it is about doing them in the first place.
It dawned on me that everything I do in financial planning is no different. If you love looking at financial strategies, deciding which superannuation fund is best, what insurer will give you the best cover for the price, what investment you prefer, and ensuring the retirement and generational wealth transfer are all correct… Then you should do it. Just like I mow my own lawn.
However, if these things don’t float your boat, cause stress, or worse, your brain says “do it tomorrow”, then you should look at outsourcing. There are a lot of good financial planners out there… find one that suits you and your personality, and let them take away the stress.
John Forwood and Forwood Planning Pty Ltd ATF Forwood Planning Trust are Authorised Representatives (No. 1007813/1238510) of MyPlanner Australia Pty Ltd AFSL 345905.
The information provided above is general in nature and does not constitute financial advice. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate. Individuals must not rely on this information to make a financial or investment decision. Before making any decision, we recommend you consult a financial planner to take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation and individual needs.
