“There is no excellence in archery without great labour.” Maurice Thompson Life is hectic. We know this. Most of the time we can feel like a highly strung bow, close to snapping. But in the right context, this is when a bow is most effective and most powerful. Between work, family, and all your other obligations, you may feel like you’re being pulled all over the show. When it comes to archery, the bow is an […]
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The benefit of having a financial plan
However over-used Benjamin Franklin’s* quote may be, it rings loud and true; if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. When it comes to financial planning, many misunderstand the process to be about managing how much you’re spending and saving. For us, it’s about a little more than that… Whilst budgeting is a key building block in the foundations of a prudent financial plan, how much money you have is far less important than understanding […]
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Reasons to be happy about inflation in SA
People are often quick to comment on doom and gloom posts and add their voice, and with the current subdued economic outlook, there seems to be plenty to be grim about. But what if we looked at something, like inflation, and highlight a positive South African success story? “… Inflation??” you cry. Hear this out. When people speak of inflation, it’s often the villain of the financial story. It’s blamed every time we swipe our cards […]
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Silver lining investments to get you through slump time
They say to make hay while the sun is shining, but what about during overcast conditions? The current outlook for SA investors is not as stormy as it was two years ago, but it certainly isn’t clear skies. While we started the year filled with new optimism in a new president and the looming threat of state capture vanishing, other problems have remained. Thanks to Eskom, plummeting business confidence scores, policy uncertainty and a host of […]
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A flexible plan is a strong plan
For those familiar with personal training you may know that a strength programme is well complemented by a flexibility routine. Some research has shown that stretching can increase muscle mass by over 300%! The same is true for making plans. The more flexibility (room to stretch) your plan has, the stronger it can be. A plan needs to consider many things and allow for alternatives to bolster any situation that may occur. This way, flexibility also […]
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Reasons for SA SMEs to smile
It’s not always easy to see, but there are unexpected positives in South Africa’s current financial situation. Of all the segments of our population who could be grumbling, many would say that SME owners are right up there. Squeezed like the middle-class tax payers, but with the added brutal success figures of less than 10 percent after two years, SMEs seem to have it doubly rough. But could there be a silver lining? Things cost the […]
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Planning is a process
One of the hardest elements of a plan is that when we begin, it’s largely intangible. It’s hard to commit to something that we can’t see, touch or feel. In our heads, our plans are very real, but further than that – they’re a little hard to engage with. Sometimes, it can be helpful to view our plans in the same way that we would view a road trip. If we’re planning a holiday or a […]
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It doesn’t just happen
Success isn’t something that simply lands in our laps. When we look at successful people, we only see their most recent achievements, not the backstory. What we’re actually seeing, is someone who was willing to do what it took to be the best that they could be. Most successful people don’t follow a seven-point plan or even think that they will be perceived by others as successful. Success requires focus, hard work and persistence. But none […]
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The retirement gap needs a new rap
Retirement (as well as education and the job market) is one of our greatest future-unknowns. We know it will happen… but we are finding it harder to understand and predict what it might look like. This doesn’t mean we should abandon planning for it. If anything, it simply means that we need to change the way we start to talk about, engage with and plan for retirement. According to a global survey done by BlackRock, about […]
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Integrity and authenticity are key to happiness
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. – Mahatma Gandhi” Integrity in our lives is developed by constantly evaluating: the way we think, the way we speak, and, the way we act. As we are able to bring these into harmony, we develop our authenticity and grow our happiness. Relooking at our perspectives and our motivations gives us a chance to be honest and see what we […]
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