Blog

Giving.

I’ve always been passionate about learning. It’s one reason I’ve worked with a coach of one kind or another for most of my career.

After the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, we dig up our hopes and dreams and make some resolutions. Getting back in the gym, losing weight, and eating clean, are usually at the top of the list, but what about your finances? The health of your accounts, spending habits, and investments are just as important to evaluate.

Halftime. Once you head into the locker room and start considering how to play the game in your second half of life, it can feel pretty overwhelming. (For an introduction to “Halftime,” see my blog Your halftime opportunity: finding meaning in the second half of life.) Whether taking the time to make your Halftime plan is a well planned, strategic move, or whether you’ve found yourself here in crisis, it’s inevitable that new creative ideas will bubble to the surface. The big question at hand: How can I create more meaning and purpose in my second half of life?

Many years ago, I read Bob Buford’s classic Halftime. While I found it interesting and thought provoking, it didn’t resonate with me at the time. Fast forward to 2012. My 50^th birthday was looming right around the corner, and something made me pick up the book again. This time, the message hit me like a ton of bricks. I had hit my own personal “halftime,” and the implications were huge. 

There are many who would suggest that, in a digitally-wired world in which information travels at light speed to all corners, the investment playing field has been leveled between individual investors and the institutions. In reality, however, the incessant noise and information overload can do more to fuel the irrational behavior of investors than it can to provide any sort of advantage.