There’s nothing quite like traveling during the Holidays… to drain the Holiday spirit out of you. I say that in jest but there’s a little truth to humor. I’m sure all of us can share some trials and tribulations as we go through our own personal “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” moments while visiting family.
For me and my family, this was an especially busy travel year with quite a bit of driving. Our travels involved driving through a major metropolitan area that’s often in the top 5 of most congested cities in America (sometimes it’s #1). As we brace to navigate through dense traffic, I dial up the car navigation system which plots out the fastest route. As I’m driving, my wife is pulling up data from her phone, advising me to take a different path. My daughter, who really hates sitting in traffic, is old enough to pull up yet another travel app which produces a third route. Each route promises the shortest travel time. The app my daughter prefers uses a lot of crowd sourcing and often routes along side streets.
I find it interesting that different navigation systems use different methods & algorithms to determine the best route to get to the same place, often coming up with wildly different directions. I also must consider other factors, like my past experiences traveling a given route. Is it worth the added stress of barreling through an unknown back alley just to save 3 minutes? Sometimes, I know a certain route might take longer but it has a familiar stopping point with clean restrooms, because I know someone (me) might need to stop.
However, when you finally arrive at your destination, the travel pains subside because you got to where it is you wanted to go. I find it relatable to financial goals because there’s so many ways to play out one’s financial destination. There can be many variables you cannot control so you control what you can.
Although we cannot control traffic, there’s other variables we can regulate. Getting the car checked out and fueled up ahead of time, mapping out the destination while being pliable enough to make adjustments as the variables change, all help in arriving at your destination safely, and that’s what matters most.
These same travel preparations can be applied to monetary goals: set a financial destination, map it out ahead of time as best you can, adjust as the variables change, and chances are you’ll arrive at your destination safely, and that’s what matters most.
Cheers! – Steve H
Flo Chart Financial
