by Bruce Helmer, President of Wealth Enhancement Group

I have heard all the excuses for not planning. Whether you intend to hire someone to help you or decide to go at it alone, start your financial plan now. It is very difficult to make up for lost time, whether years or decades, in making your money work efficiently to help you achieve the future you want for yourself and for the ones you love.

Most important, reflect on and make a list of your goals. That’s how we often begin our consultations with our clients: We ask them to write down their goals in life, not just their financial goals, and to be as precise as they can be. If you are not clear about your goals, it is impossible to achieve them. If you don’t have dreams or aspirations, if you think only about everyday life, you’ll remain stuck in the rut of the mundane. Yes, of course, you have to take the time to smell the roses, to play with your kids, but even that will be more enjoyable for you if you believe you are focused clearly on the future you desire. Someone a whole lot smarter than I am once said that if you don’t think about the future, you won’t have one.

The best way to predict the future is to create the future. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Begin now. Once you get started, once you set a plan in motion, momentum takes over. Think of it as a buffet line. The line may be long and slow, but at least you’re moving. You are going to get your meal faster than if you wait for the line to get shorter.