Financial Planning Mentoring SchemeThis year seems to have gone by in a flash. I always reflect on the past year, looking at achievements, areas to improve and my work/life balance. I love this time of year, with fallen leaves and a cold nip in the air to contemplate these things.
Financial planning and paraplanning has been such a big part of my life, as well as yours I suspect. So, what’s next? What do you want to achieve professionally and personally in 2019 and beyond? Do you have your own financial plan? Perhaps a list of ‘must dos’, not just for next year but into the future? When I started out as a paraplanner, back in the day, I made a simple list of all sorts of things in life that I wanted to achieve, such as passing my exams, buying a half decent car that didn’t break down when the cold weather came, moving house to somewhere more scenic, passing more exams, learning to use spreadsheets better.
There was a decent sized list that I then added target dates to. Wow! How that brought the whole thing to life was amazing. Simple financial planning? Hmm yes, I guess so. But what about you? Where is your list? How will you treat or reward yourself this year and plan for next? Sometimes, we are so good at planning forwards we don’t remember to stop and appreciate where we are now.
Do you want some help and support? Say somethingMental health and quality of our work/ life balance has been in the financial news quite a bit this year. How do we support those whom we work alongside? Can you? Do you need training or support to help identify the phrases people often use when they are feeling depressed? You may recall the recent radio advert ‘Time to Change: Be in your mate’s corner’. The Time to Change team found that suicide is the biggest killer in men under 45. Let's not forget that the financial planning profession is very male dominated. I'm committing to learn more about how to support my friends and colleagues in 2019 with mental health issues. I hope to help myself along the way too.
What are you going to commit to do in 2019? Set yourself some goals. Maybe financial, personal, exams, but also how about looking at your own mental health? Give yourself a check-up. Consider doing the NHS quiz which allows you to assess your own mood. Do you want some help and support? Say something.
One of the initiatives I’m looking forward to is the new financial planning mentoring scheme which launches in January. It’s a great feeling when people in the profession come together to help strengthen and grow their beloved profession. I can’t wait to see the outcomes and the differences this will make. Do you mentor anyone? Could that be a new goal you set for yourself? How about being a mentee? We never know everything, and we can always learn and gain from support of others.
I often come across two groups of people: a group that says that one person can change the world; they just have to believe and take action; the other says that one person won't make a difference and they should give up before the effort finishes them off.
Well, I believe in financial planning and the people who make this profession. As paraplanners, you change the world by improving the lives of the clients you help; one person at a time, one business at a time. So, you are living proof that one person CAN change the world. Collectively we can have a loud voice and improve the profession together.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year to you all. Here’s to changing the world in 2019.
This article first appears in the December 2018 edition of Professional Paraplanner. Republished with permission.