My oldest daughter remembers EVERYTHING we say.

While Michelle and I have gotten better at watching what we say around her, other people in our lives are often unaware of her ability to hold them to everything they say. So, for example, when a neighbor promises her a playdate that doesn’t happen, waterworks ensue.

As parents, we use these situations to remind our daughter (and ourselves!) that A) life isn’t always fair and B) life doesn’t always go according to plan.

As Mike Tyson so eloquently said, “Everybody has plans until they get hit.”

Having a plan in place – for your life and your finances – is a good place to start. But remember it’s only a start.

Life happens and things change in ways we cannot anticipate or predict. And just like my daughter (and Mike Tyson!), we need to be able to adjust when life hits us in the face.

My ability to do so has been helped by embracing the following mindset:

Strong convictions, loosely held.

It’s not about being right or wrong.

It’s about making our best guess at this moment based on the information available to us at this time.

It’s about knowing that when something changes or new information presents itself, we should adapt and adjust.

And perhaps most importantly, we need to check our egos at the door so we remain open to adjusting when our circumstances have changed.

Life gets better when we embrace that adapting and adjusting are both normal and necessary. A financial plan is what gets us started but it’s the ongoing process of financial planning that allows us to navigate the uncertainty of our lives with comfort and confidence.

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