Hello, Have you ever lacked motivation? On Saturday evening I was sitting in my chair relaxing when Amelia, our 6-year-old, asked me if I wanted to race her. I hopped up and we ran around the house, but I noticed something. I was more winded than I should’ve been… I got a new fitness tracker for Christmas and I’ve been trying to follow its recommendation pretty closely, so I’ve not been riding my mountain bike as much as I normally do. When I felt how winded I was I told Mallory I was going to go ride my bike on Sunday afternoon. I'm pictured below mountain biking last summer.

Come Sunday afternoon it was feeling pretty cold and windy outside, and I didn’t feel like moving. BUT I did. It’s always a little concerning when you get to the mountain bike park’s parking lot and there are sparce cars to be seen. Off I went into the woods. For me I need my eyes to be about ten feet in front of me and looking at the ground, which is sometimes a challenge. This goes back to my hand-eye coordination deficit I wrote about recently. I have the opposite of tunnel vision. I love to look around when I’m driving and see the sights, but the problem with mountain biking is there are roots and rocks and holes everywhere. So, you had better pay close attention. Mallory recently took the girls to the Panthers playground one afternoon.

I was going down a rough downhill section when I saw another cyclist coming my way. It’s mostly a single-track trail so whichever person is feeling the most courteous that day normally yields to the other cyclist. The oncoming cyclist yielded to me but he kept going by just riding in the wooded area off the trail to the side. I was trying to figure out where he was going, I guess, and about that time I hit a root and flipped over my handlebars and onto my shoulder. Fortunately, I was going slow so I was only bruised a little. To make matters worse, the nice guy stopped and asked if I was okay. Generally, I want to be left alone when things aren’t going my way, but I wouldn’t say I was embarrassed. I was more annoyed with myself than anything. It was a rookie mistake.

We all go through different experiences in life, and sometimes we are presented with options we later regret not pursuing. Perhaps we make a “rookie mistake.” Or maybe we made a bad financial decision that at the time we thought was a best path to go down. We’ve probably all experienced situations we wished had turned out differently. As a financial planner I have a front row seat to seeing what has worked well for people throughout their lives and sometimes I see what has not worked well for folks. I find it fascinating to hear people’s stories. We’re unique and the nuances are intriguing. This brings up an interesting question: What’s the best thing to do when things don’t go as financially well as we planned for? Sir Winston Churchill may have said it best when he said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Each day presents us with an opportunity to better ourselves and plot a new path. There is no time like the present to create a retirement roadmap to guide your decisions.

Some of us go about our investing in a haphazard manner. When we are younger and have a long time horizon before we are going to retire our actions are less consequential. But as we are approaching retirement our investing decisions shift in importance. What you are doing is always important, but things become more critical as our window to retirement narrows. If we’re within five years of retirement or in retirement it makes sense to make shifts and adjust our strategy. If we haven’t, that’s okay. But time is of the essence. Often the worst decision we make is not making a decision at all. Are you getting close to retirement? Do you feel like your financial house is in order? Those are the questions I’ll leave you with. Until next week, David C. Treece, Financial Planner

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Clients Excel, LLC is an independent financial services firm that utilizes a variety of investment and insurance products. Investment advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Creative One Wealth. Creative One Wealth and Clients Excel, LLC are not affiliated companies. Neither the firm nor its agents or representatives may give tax or legal advice. Individuals should consult with a qualified tax professional for guidance before making any purchasing decisions. Clients Excel, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. Clients Excel, LLC has a strategic partnership with tax professionals and attorneys who can provide tax and/or legal advice. Published on 02.21.2024.