My wealth management work with women begins by first defining what “success” means to them.
For some women, it’s about having more time to pursue the things they’re passionate about. For others, it involves having money to contribute to the causes that inspire them. And for some, success is simply having “enough,” however they define it.
It’s been interesting for me to see how different women define success and how they’re personal happiness relates to their vision of success, now or in the future.
Many women seem to believe that once they reach their goals and achieve their personal version of success, happiness will be a natural byproduct. A result of their success.
Others seem to consider happiness a key ingredient in their journey to live a successful life. For these women, happiness is a key ingredient. Or maybe a prerequisite to success.
After watching the following TED Talk about positive psychology, I couldn’t help but reflect on this idea of whether the women I work with view happiness as a result or an ingredient. I encourage you to take about 12 minutes and watch the video.
What did you think? Pretty entertaining speaker, right?
Although he’s addressing happiness in the workplace, I think the same concepts hold true in our personal lives.
Our mindset and perspective have a huge impact on how we see and interact with the world around us. Nowhere is this more true than in financial planning and wealth management. Do you have a positive or negative view of the world? Do you subscribe to the idea of abundance or scarcity? Is your glass half-full or half-empty? And how do these perspectives impact your money decisions?
I don’t have all the answers here. But I’m willing to invest the time and ask questions of the women I work with to help explore and uncover not just what’s important on the surface, but what really makes them tick. This means identifying and discussing values and beliefs.
I would suggest that making happiness an ingredient in your success (instead of a result) will lead to a much more rewarding journey.
Would love to know what you think in the comments section below. Or if you’d like to explore the idea of happiness as an ingredient in your wealth management plan, give me a call.
This article does not constitute a personal recommendation or take into account the particular investment objectives, financial situations or needs of individual clients. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Wealthcare Capital Management’s disclosure document ADV Part 2A can be found here.
