The Joy of Christmas...or Not

Christmas is the time of year that we take time for family, reflect on the “reason for the season,”  forget about the worries of life, and are thankful for how we have been blessed as we give to one another……..well, for some.  Over the years of financial advising, I have found that for most, and I may add, that it seems to be worse in the last few years, that Christmas has become a time of great financial anxiety.  It actually has become a day of guilt and depression.  Many know that they have overspent, yet, I don’t want to let down the kids, or, I do not want to be labeled as a mean parent.  “I will figure out some way to fix this after the Holidays, I’ve done it before”. 

  I, personally, took some time to reflect back on Christmas, for what I remembered the most. I cannot remember any present that I received except the one that my brother broke for me the first day I got it.  Maybe this is due to me being old, which could be the case.  I do remember some of the presents that I bought for various reasons.  Such as, I wish I could have had it for me, I wanted to bless a special person, or I knew that I had way overspent on it.  The things that I remember most are the times that our family spent doing really crazy, goofy things.  Spontaneous things like taking a walk in the snow, freezing my hands, crying and complaining to get back home…I was a lot younger of course…then going home to play with toys and presents that I don’t even remember.

 Even if you have already arrived at the point of what I described earlier, I challenge you to still attempt to do something spontaneous, or “off the wall” this year, with your family.  I do not mean take your family to a snow bank and freeze them, nor purposely make them suffer.  That is not the point.  It is to experience a quality time with the whole family that is out of normal routine.  Break tradition.  I promise it will be remembered for years to come. 

 Merry Christmas. 

Phil Wilder

The Business Mindset

    I’ve been a student, as well as an aggressive participant in the business and the political community, for approximately thirty years.  This journey has been experienced by traveling many diverse paths, in which I have encountered both challenging obstacles as well as rewarding opportunities.  Through these experiences, I have observed and learned much; (I’m still in process).

One specific issue, that comes to mind, is that it is not essential to “fail our way to success.”  It is imperative that we continually evaluate and adapt to the needs and/or demands, due to the rapidly changing circumstances and conditions in the world around us.  In order to achieve success, there is one specific thing that must remain constant; It is - that we continual practice standard principles, rather than become dependant on systems, statistics or programs.

Following are few questions that I have been pondering over last few years. 

1)      Why are there so many books, programs, counselors, consultants, etc., targeting management/leadership, all conveying the same information, methods and techniques, struggle with program implementation and/or attaining the required levels of competence?

2)      In our current corporate workplace, why is there such a noticeable increase in focus and insecurity?

3)      Why is there such a great challenge to spark implementation as well as sustainable results?

4)      Why can’t/don’t we effectively utilize the resources that are not only readily available to us, but also right around us?

The principles and laws, that governing effective and successful thinking, all follow one path of reasoning; (S.O.A.P.)   A path that leads to confidence and courage.

Phil Wilder

Hitting What you Aim At

     With the new year approaching, I regularly hear, “this next year I am going to set some goals; I mean it; I am tired of how things are in my life, financially, physically,  …  this next year is going to be different.”  I ask them if they had neglected to do that, set goals, this last year.  The answer usually is, “no, “I did set some goals last year, but…” “I just had some things that distracted me…””You just don’t know how chaotic my year has been…” ”I just don’t know how I got off track, I started out well.” 

 My son, who is now a psychologist, called me from college a few years back, after having sat through one of his psychology classes.  He was quite annoyed to say the least.  He told me that the class discussion was on why there are so many individuals, in the United States, that feel like they are “failures.” He said, “Dad, the entire discussion was based on feelings and opinions, rather than statistical facts.  They concluded that the reason for this feeling of failure was due to how individuals feel about themselves, peer pressure, less opportunities, not enough time, etc.”  My comment to my son was, “I don’t understand, either, why people feel so much like failures.  They should feel like winners; have a true sense of accomplishment.” 

 There is an old saying, “one usually hits what they aim at.  If they aim at nothing, chances are that is what they will hit.  NOTHING!  I told him that people should really be celebrating.  Now if they had goals and didn’t attain them, then that is one thing, but if they didn’t set goals in the first place or even try, then they actually attained what they set out to do.  I guess they didn’t fail after all.  Very few people, or organizations for that matter, that I have been around, set real goals.  It is more about what one “hopes” to have happen, than what Will Happen.  This year, Set Real Goals.  Write them down.  Become accountable to someone for achievement.  Remember…

“People don’t get what they deserve, they get what they settle for.”   Anon   

Phil Wilder

Financial Solutions for Today

Do you ask yourself -

* How am I going to afford my kids college tuition?
* Where do I find help for our personal or family finances?
* How do I protect my assets?
* Where do I start to plan for my retirement?
* How can I save on paying so much in taxes?

Perhaps you own your own business and are asking -

* I need help with risk management and don't know who to consult with?
* Where do I find trusted tax planning for my business?
* I need help with time management, where do I begin?
* How do I set up my business structure or restructuring?
* I want to start a new business and dont know where to begin?

Need help with Wealth Management -

* I am retiring- what can I invest in and not go backwards?
* I need help with my estate planning (trust/will) and need help?
* I want to set up charitable giving but need direction?
* How can I pay less in tax and keep more for my family?
* Where do I seek financial direction in preserving what I worked hard to acquire?

You need someone to help you think outside the box and beyond the obvious. You need the Wilder Solution!