To our friends, family, and clients in Houston, know we are thinking of you.
Ten years ago, our country was on the cusp of a terrible recession. The housing market crashed, unemployment spiked, and American households lost trillions of dollars in net worth. Considering we are currently approaching 100 months of economic expansion, are we about to see another downturn? It’s the question market analysts keep asking.
However, retirement planning takes a backseat when faced with immediate issues like finding safe housing and bottled water. It’s completely understandable to feel frustrated, confused, and scared by the world these days. In fact, those reactions are a good sign of your humanity. But there are times when these emotions can immobilize us. We don’t know what to do, how to help, or where to turn.
Doing nothing, though, produces nothing – so how do we move forward? Start by choosing to believe small actions can create avalanches – history has proven this over and over. When you are feeling overwhelmed, consider these seemingly small actions:
Fear does its best work in the dark. So take an honest look at the problems in your life and name them. Understanding what you’re facing is important; turning a blind eye tends to increase the chaos rather than help defeat it.
Equip yourself. Gather resources, knowledge, and the people you need by your side. Be humble enough to ask questions, make connections, and invest time into understanding the roots of the issue. It’s much easier to fight a battle when you are adequately prepared.
Find your lane. You can’t solve every problem – that’s like using a sprinkler to stop a forest fire. But you can figure out where your strengths lie; investing deeply into one thing can then produce a powerful fire hose effect. And remember that each person is unique, so it’s ok your purpose and passion happen to be different than someone else’s.
And finally, persist. I know that sounds unfathomable when you’re trying to take down a mountain with a tiny chisel. But enough little chips over time matter. Your small actions will create an avalanche.
Whether you’re knee deep in water and not sure how to remove it or knee deep in debt and don’t know how to budget, remember there are people who are trained to help. Make the phone call. Accept advice. Take one small action.