Feelings of regret and frustration are not emotions I am accustomed to having. I make a point to discuss in this column and on my radio program that \u201cthings change.\u201d\u00a0 Utilizing some of those changes could make a profound difference in your life. But how do you know when a potential upgrade has occurred?<\/p>\n
On December 27th of last year, I injured my Achilles tendon. From the moment it happened, I knew I needed to seek medical attention, but six weeks passed before I visited the doctor.\u00a0 A walking boot was in my future.<\/p>\n
The delay in visiting a doctor stemmed from an experience of mine. Seven years ago, I had an injury that required \u201cthe boot,\u201d and the fear and pain from that experience delayed my decision to see the doctor this time. Because I had a negative \u201cexperience\u201d in the past, I assumed I knew what would happen this time around.<\/p>\n
Walking boots immobilize your foot and protect the area of your body that is in distress. They also cause you to hobble as one foot is now taller than the other. My calf healed in six weeks, but my hip hurt for six months!\u00a0 That experience clouded my judgment and my decision-making ability to take action.<\/p>\n
With coaxing from my wife, mother, and team members at work, I relented and saw a doctor who quickly put me in a boot. I expressed my fears of the previous injury to the nurse.\u00a0 \u201cNo problem Joe.\u00a0 There is a solution to that problem.\u201d\u00a0 I was dumbfounded. I felt like such a hypocrite!<\/p>\n
The boot is on, and my hip is well, thanks to good doctors and insightful nurses, but the relief should have occurred sooner. Hopefully, this incident can help us better understand how people miss financial opportunities every day.<\/p>\n
Ronald Regan said, \u201cTrust but verify.\u201d\u00a0 We ought to trust those we work with but should always be seeking improvements. We shouldn\u2019t write the same checks to the same vendors just because \u201cit\u2019s what we\u2019ve always done.\u201d Take a moment to examine where your money is going and why.<\/p>\n
The world of finance changes constantly. There have been two major tax code overhauls in the last four years. The investment world adds new fee structures and tools to help with risk reduction monthly. The state of Indiana has allowed new clauses in your trust not available five years ago. Change is everywhere. When you don\u2019t know there is a new solution to a previous problem, it is not uncommon to go about your business as nothing has changed at all.<\/p>\n
The double-curse of knowledge is that I don\u2019t know what I don\u2019t know, but I also don\u2019t know what you don\u2019t know. The medical world fixed a problem, but I didn\u2019t know it was improved, and they did not know to tell me. Because of this, I didn\u2019t get the relief I needed as soon as I could have, and the doctors missed out on providing me a service earlier. Don\u2019t let this type of mistake hurt your financial future.<\/p>\n