Putt the Damn Ball
April 13th, 2006Everyone has a personality trait that seems to dominate their decision making process. For me that trait is my need to be hyper-analytical about everything.
Now being very analytical does have its plusses. It allows me to be very detail oriented, maintain an independent thought process, and apply rational logic to my decisions. Those traits are wonderful when thinking about personal finance, economics, and investing.
On the other hand, those of you who are as overly analytical as I might recognize that at times the need for complete information paralyzes you into inaction. Making a good decision is one thing, making NO decision is another. The need for certainty about what you are doing can sometimes be very stifling to the need to move forward.
I have always known that I had a sort of passion and gift for the world of finance, but it was not until almost a year ago that I decided to actually make a life altering decision to pursue a career in that field. I decided I would go back to school and get a Masters in Personal Financial Planning, then become a CFP, and then start my own financial planning practice.
Now, all of that seems fairly straight forward and easy on the surface. The problem seems to be in the execution. I have indeed gone back to school and have made good progress towards the degree but becoming a CFP takes a lot of effort. One of the requirements for certification is 3 years of relevant work experience. For CPAs and others who have worked in the financial industry that requirement is easy to meet. For those of us who are switching careers it becomes a daunting task.
I am sort of an independent type. In my present life I own an internet marketing and consulting business. For the last year or so I have been waffling around trying to figure out whether or not I should 1) go work for some planning business part-time 2) start my own planning business now or 3) wait until I am done with school and start my own business. My angst lies in deciding how much time to devote to this new venture while simultaneously maintaining my ability to pay the bills through my old business. Difficult choices - and ones I have analyzed to death.
So what does all this have to do with golf?
Well - I am a huge golf fan and love to play the sport. The other night my wife and I were watching The Big Break V on the Golf Channel. The contestants on there were trying to read putts and they were looking at them from every angle. Inevitably they remarked, "I don't know, from that side it looks like it breaks one way but from this side it looks like it breaks the other."
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard that from my friends on the course. So I told my wife that one of my strengths in golf is my putting. Why? I am very decisive when I putt. I take one look at the line, commit to it, and then feel the putt and hit it. No over analyzing, no complex thoughts, just putt.
So later in the evening we were lying in the bed discussing my lack of 'real' progress towards my goal of starting my own financial planning practice. I was giving her all the reasons why I had not yet started doing something and she just looked at me and said, "Putt the damn ball!"
That was her way of telling me to stop thinking so much and waiting for everything to be right and to just jump in and do it. I thought that was a perfect analogy. That's when it hit me. I might not have the 'real world' experience yet to be considered a CFP but I do have tons of knowledge about the financial world. That knowledge can be shared with you via this blog. It will be a good start towards communicating my ideas about personal finance, investing, economics, and a few other things.
I intend to leave a quote at the end of all my posts just to sort of hammer home the points I was trying to make. This one seems most appropriate for my discourse today.
Miles to Joel in Risky Business:
"Joel, you wanna know something? Every now and then say, 'What the fuck.' 'What the fuck' gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future."
Disclaimer: this post is for informational purposes ONLY. Please read the disclaimer before even thinking about relying on me to make a financial decision!
Related Posts:
About Me
A Moron's Guide to Gas Wars
Make a Comment:
SORRY - Commenting has been disabled because of spam abuse