Depending upon your age, you might remember the commercials of Crazy Eddie with his Santa hat screaming through your television screen about Christmas Sales in August. Yes, Crazy Eddie did go out of business, but he certainly got our attention and made many of us laugh while he lasted. Summer Winter Sales still do exist and they exist in many aspects of our lives.
Some of the best choices that I have ever made in my life have been counterintuitive. One of my 2010 counterintuitive choices was spending Mother’s Day Weekend in The Caribbean –without my children! Never before had I spent a Mother’s Day without my kids- and it was great. Initially, my teen age daughter was taken aback that I would leave town for Mother’s Day. Aside from spending some quality time with my husband, I also dedicated time alone to reflect on the things that I enjoy most about motherhood. I came back more enlivened, rejuvenated, and appreciative of my three children. Mother’s Day without my kids was so much more rewarding than appreciating the fuss of crowded restaurants with inconvenient reservations, even though I missed my darlings.
How to save money by being counterintuitive ….
• Avoid the holiday rush in every aspect of your life. Summertime can be the best time to shop for wintery products, holiday items and gifts at deep discounts. Amazing deals can be found. These crazy summer sales really do exist.
How to save time by being counterintuitive….
• Avoid rush hour in every aspect of your life. Who declared weekends and holidays as the time for fun and family? Each day has 24 hours and each day can be savored as any other. Declare your own holidays and breaks at off peak times and enjoy every minute!
How to reduce stress by being counterintuitive…
• Avoid an alarm clock in every aspect of your life. Things of importance: your values, your passions, and your goals need to pull you out of bed in the morning- not just your alarm clock. Too often, we prioritize our schedule instead of scheduling our priorities. This leads to stress because there will never be enough time to do all that is on our to do lists. Time is a misnomer. Wake up because of your purpose and schedule your priorities.
Counter intuitiveness often leads to success…
The underlying premise of the universal themes of taking the road less traveled, thinking out of the box, and going against the grain is based upon the concept of counter intuitiveness.
As a financial advisor, it is essential that I am hardwired to think and behave counter intuitively. Continuously, we must review our clients’ strategies and update their goals ensuring that everything is in sync. Goals, not market trends and indices should drive investment strategy. Unfortunately, many people chase the performance of their investments instead of being clear about their values and achieving their goals which leads to buying high and selling low. The instability of our economy and the volatility of our markets leave us no choice but to view our challenges as opportunities and not run scared. Too often, the problems that we make are worse than the problems that we have.
The 2nd Quarter ending June 30, 2010 resulted in a sharp downturn in the Dow Jones, an unparalleled oil spill in The Gulf, and the list could go on and on. However, we can still choose to celebrate what is right with the world and focus on what is within our control. If we turn off the nightly news, we will find that the list of what is right with the world is much longer, much sweeter, and perhaps when leveraged can be used to resolve many of the issues that are wrong with the world.
