Learning From Mistakes

It has been a great year at the firm. Thousands of clients helped, great teamwork, great execution. But I have made some mistakes. The mistakes I have made have sometimes been trying to grow too much, too fast. I constantly watch our numbers and try to make the right decisions based off those and work towards our goals. Sometimes, however, in the past, I have gotten things out of order. I have let my ambition cloud my judgment and while the steps I took are necessary and are all part of the larger plan, in hindsight, they were simply out of order. These were steps that will be necessary to take in the future and some we can come back to and will be useful because I have already taken the time to complete them but they were… simply… out of order. Everything can be done if done in the right order and with clarity. This is the proper flow of things. This last year has been a great learning experience for me in which I made mistakes and missteps and corrected them

I doubt I am the only one who made mistakes this year. The key is to learn from those mistakes, to gain wisdom, to use that newfound knowledge in future planning. Then to execute that plan. Part of my history is trying to do too many things myself, not delegating enough, and not seeking out help to do some of the jobs I take on myself. This is evident in any real estate I end up working on myself and not hiring experts to do the work for me. I admit, I like this hands-on labor and glean satisfaction from it, but it is not the most efficient way to do it. One of my goals this year is to bring professionals and consultants into our firm to give me insight into our numbers, to help me refine our systems, and handle some other items that will make us much better and very quickly. Sitting back and trying to see through the fog or find the light switch in the dark is certainly a way to manage and grow but it requires much more effortwhen I know the right professional can turn the light switch on for me with minimal effort from me and in a timely manner. This is a hard adjustment to make when you grow a business and start taking off some of the hats and go from doing to delegating. This is an impossible leap for most to make and I have really struggled with it. It is foreign to me but I’m working on building that muscle. That’s part of my plan to make 2023 an amazing year.

I often find that what I am struggling with, my clients are also struggling with and it gives me perspective on how to better help them. I struggle with delegation, finding the time, stopping “doing” long enough to hire professionals to take care of the things I haven’t or can’t. When I do make those decisions, learn from my mistakes, and take action to find the right professional then I am always relieved afterwards and also amazed out just how easy it was. My clients are the same in some ways. They all have busy lives and are “doing” so much for themselves, their families, and others that they don’t take the time out to pause, find the right professional, and engage their services to take care of really important matters. I totally understand and identify with that. I would say to folks out there that as an estate planning and elder law attorney, I am a professional, I help people find the light switch, to put together a plan to protect their assets, avoid excessive taxation, plan for long-term care, and create a legacy for their families. If you would like to interview a professional for this job for you and your family I would offer a free consult to sit down and discuss your estate planning goals. Give me a call and we will set something up! (888) 999-6600.