My favorite quote from James Clear’s Atomic Habits is “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” Our results and achievements are ultimately determined by the systems we have in place, not just our goals or aspirations. If our systems are not well designed or developed, we will inevitably fall short of our desired outcomes, no matter how ambitious our goals may be. 

We spend a lot of very focused time in Walden Roots discovering and documenting a client’s financial purpose, the true meaning of wealth as defined by them, and the role of money in their life. At the end of the Walden Roots process, I talk in-depth with Josh about everything I have learned and he creates a financial plan that marries a client’s financial purpose to their current and projected financial assets. We all leave the office holding hands, skipping back to our fairy tale life. [Insert needle scratching across a record (for those of us who remember playing vinyl albums), or enter “record scratch sound” into TikTok.]

The thing is, nearly all of our Walden Financial clients are, or soon will be, at an inflection point in their financial lives. They come to us because they are seeking change. My kids are starting school. One of my children is starting college. I have an adult child who is moving back in with us.  I just quit my job. I want to start my own business. I want to retire early. I want to retire on time. My Mom needs a place to stay while she recovers from surgery. I need some time to focus on my health. I want to downsize our house. I want to live somewhere else. And the list goes on. 

Walden Roots identifies what truly matters to our clients, and I believe you always have enough money for what truly matters. The only thing standing in the way between what truly matters to you and your money is the current financial behaviors that you use to manage life. Your financial plan is only as good as your willingness and commitment to make the changes needed to prioritize what matters and shed the rest.

We are launching Walden Ways Financial Coaching service as a way to provide a structured process for helping clients make the behavioral changes necessary to live into their financial purpose and financial plan. Clients will choose a set of goals for the Coaching service either from their Walden Roots work or from a detailed Service Description, and the Coaching will commence until the specified goals are achieved making the process both client-specific and measurable. Here are some common goals.

• I want clarity on my family’s monthly expenses including sinking funds and savings goals.

• I want a structured decision-making process for emergencies and windfalls.

• I want a bank and investment account structure that automates my payment and savings goals.

• I want to balance the mental and tactical load of managing the finances with my spouse/partner.

• I want to know where I can free up cash to get to my goals more quickly.

“There’s nothing wrong with understanding. Understanding the past is perfectly admissible if your issue is accepting the past. But if your issue is changing the future, understanding will not take you there. My experience tells me that the only effective approach is looking people in the eye and saying, “If you want to change, do this.”
― Marshall Goldsmith, What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful

If you are interested in learning more about Walden Ways and how you get started, please use one of the Contact options on our website to reach out.