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Leveling Up with the CFP®

leveling up with CFP® text with plant growing in jar of coins

Three years ago, I never would have imagined I’d be where I am. Working independently, living in a house I OWN, and helping people improve their finances every day. It took a lot of risks and leaps of faith to get here, but I don’t regret any of them.

As I started working with more clients last year, I realized that I needed to level up. I needed a deeper understanding of some of the nuances in financial planning, and I needed to signal to future clients that even though I don’t have decades in this industry, I’m so committed to this work. So, last November, I started the coursework to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. (Apparently, you get in trouble if you don’t write it that way, so please don’t think I’m extra for the all-caps). Some of the CFP® material was a refresh – at that point, I’d already been working with clients for almost two years. But some of it, the parts that I didn’t get as much exposure to with my clients, was brand new. Estate planning minutia, tax strategies, and so many different retirement plan rabbit holes.

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A Reintroduction and Challenging the Status Quo

I did a fun thing a few weeks ago. I reread all of my blog posts, starting from the beginning. It’s been almost three years since I started writing here, and I honestly couldn’t even remember from week to week what I wrote, so I wanted to make sure I stood by what I’ve said over the years. I’ve also been thinking about sharing this blog with more people I know IRL, so reviewing my posts was important to me.

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Priorities and Traveling

I’m traveling out of the country this week (and next). When people learn about my job, a lot of times the response I get is “Wow, it’s so cool that you get to travel!” And in some ways, it is cool. I’m visiting three new countries on this trip, and one of them has been on my travel bucket list for years.

But that doesn’t mean it’s “cool.” It’s usually exhausting and stressful. And, as evidenced by the pet-sitting line item in my last post, it ends up being really expensive. Yes, it is awesome that I get to visit new countries, but I would be traveling on my own anyway. And once I’m not working a traditional 9-to-5 job, I’ll have more time and flexibility to do so.

Don’t get me wrong–I am so excited for this trip. And for the extra week that I’m spending on vacation at the end. But this is also reaffirming that my new career path is the right choice for me and a better fit for my mental health.

Priorities

My priorities of flexibility and freedom mean that even traveling is hard when it’s under a rigid schedule and with strict expectations. There’s also the fact that it’s hard to explore a country when you have specific responsibilities in a professional role on a trip. I’m glad that the direction my life is moving in better lines up with my priorities because I really believe I’ll be happier as my job lets me do more of what I love and on my own time.

Anyway, this is a short post this week; more of an update than a fully fleshed-out post. It’s just nice to get my thoughts in writing and know that even the most exciting aspects of my job come with their own downsides that I’d like to mitigate moving forward.

Next week, I’ll put out the full list of books I read in the first quarter of 2019!