Life Just Shifted: How to Navigate Big Changes Without Losing Sight of What Matters
A client called me last week, not to discuss her portfolio, but to share a quiet milestone. She had just dropped her youngest daughter off at college. After the flurry of packing boxes and decorating a dorm room, she returned to a silent house. “It’s a moment of incredible pride,” she said, “and a stillness I wasn’t prepared for.”
Her “baby” bird had flown the nest, and she found herself standing at the threshold of a new, undefined chapter.
Her experience is one we see time and again. These major life transitions, whether it’s an empty nest, navigating a divorce, selling a business, or stepping into retirement, are profoundly personal. They’re moments of incredible achievement or necessary change, and they’re often followed by the quiet question: “What matters most to me now?”
When emotions run high and the future feels uncertain, making clear decisions about your life and finances can feel overwhelming. This is why a financial plan should also be a life plan, aligning your resources with your values to bring clarity, stability, and purpose to your journey.
Your Anchor in Times of Change: The 5 Levers
We believe that Authentic Wealth is created when all your resources are working together and aligned with what you truly value. To get there, we use a holistic framework we call the 5 Levers. Think of them as interconnected parts of your life that provide stability, especially during moments of change.
- Finances: Your income, investments, and savings; the tangible resources you use to build your life.
- Mindset: Your beliefs, attitudes, and personal stories that shape your reality and your ability to achieve your goals.
- Time: Your most precious, non-renewable resource. How you choose to spend it is a direct reflection of your priorities.
- Relationships: Connections with family, friends, and community that provide support, joy, and a sense of belonging.
- Health: Your physical and mental well-being are the foundation for everything else, giving you the energy to pursue a fulfilling life.
During a transition, checking in with each of these levers helps you understand where you are and decide where you want to go next.
It’s Never Just About the Money
Financial decisions made during a life shift are rarely just about dollars and cents. They’re deeply connected to our values.
Consider a client who, after her divorce, wanted to spend three months in Costa Rica on a wellness retreat focused on yoga and healing—something she’d always dreamed of. On paper, it looked like a financially questionable pause in her career. But when we looked through the lens of the 5 Levers, we saw it for what it was: a strategic investment in her future. It was a chance to focus on her Health by healing and recharging, to rebuild her Mindset and confidence as an independent woman, and to intentionally use her Time to invest in herself.
This is the essence of holistic guidance. True alignment happens when your financial choices actively support the life you want to live, honoring your health, strengthening your relationships, and reflecting your renewed mindset.
Find Your Footing: A Life Shift Entry
Clarity often begins with a single moment of reflection. If you find yourself in the middle of a life shift, big or small, take a few minutes for what we call a “Life Shift Entry.” This can be done in a journal, your digital notes, or even a quiet conversation with yourself.
Start by answering these four questions honestly:
- What just changed?
- What matters most right now?
- What am I afraid of?
- What do I hope for?
This reflection is a powerful first step. It’s the process of discovering your “why.” When you’re ready to explore the “how,” we invite you to bring that reflection to a conversation with our advisors, a place where emotion meets action, and possibility becomes a plan. Schedule your complimentary Authentic Wealth Discovery Session to begin.