New Year and New Goals

Ok, I know that the New Year is actually not really the optimal time to set new goals. But there’s something so enticing about a new year and new possibilities. And this “new goal” has been in the works for awhile and is finally turning into reality. In the past year, I’ve made a lot of progress toward ongoing goals. I’ve paid off my credit card debt and traveled. I’ve focused more on self-improvement and read plenty of non-fiction books. But I also had some set-backs; I didn’t get a job I thought I wanted, and then spent seven months trying to figure out my life. That included clarifying my professional goals, turning down a few seemingly perfect opportunities that weren’t right for me, and thinking about relocating to a lower cost of living location. I wrote all about 2018 in my last post.

Through that months-long journey (and plenty of introspection), my priorities slowly clarified. First, I realized that I really love the personal finance space and want to pivot my career in that direction (and believe me, it’s a pretty significant pivot from what I’m currently doing). Second, I realized that as I prioritize my mental health, I might need more flexibility and freedom in my work than I would have expected when I started out after college. Combining those two realizations, I have some big plans for this year.

I’ve always been someone who loves giving advice. Heck, I’ll give advice on things I don’t even have experience in (just double-checked—I can confirm that I am still not an old white man, in case you were getting suspicious with that last sentence…). In middle school, I was a pro at giving relationship advice, even though I had never had a boyfriend. And, if I do say so myself, I gave some damn good advice too, despite that limitation.

I like helping people. I like helping them grow and improve and find happiness. Now, I find myself brimming with thoughts on finances, and if I have to keep (lovingly) forcing that advice on my younger sisters, we’re going to have some family therapy to do.

Given that, I’ve decided to pivot to financial planning. And the good news is that this time (unlike middle school relationship advice-giving), I actually do have some experience! Not much formal education, but my own financial growth over the past two years, combined with an obsessive amount of self-education via blogs and podcasts and books. That, combined with a pretty strong empathetic instinct and an introvert’s talent for listening seems like a solid talent stack for this.

I’m currently studying for my Series 65 exam, and I’ll be partnering with a local financial planner as I start with clients. There’s still plenty up in the air. But this goal feels right. And it feels like something sustainable that I could see myself doing long-term. As part of this journey, I’m hoping to also build this blog out more.

For now, I’ll be building this business part-time. I’m way too risk-averse to quit my job when I’m not at full speed yet! But my hope is that this will turn into something that can support me full-time, so I can eventually transition away from my current job.

If you have questions, comments, or recommended resources for me, please let me know. This decision is exciting and terrifying in equal measure, and I can’t wait to jump in.

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Did you stumble upon this blog and want to be one of my first guinea pigs (ahem, *clients*)? Shoot me an email, and I can send you more details! owningthestars@gmail.com.