Category: Goals
Mid-Year Review
July 2, 2018by Curtis Burkholder
As we have reached the midpoint of 2018, it’s a good time to stop and reflect on the first half of the year and look ahead to the remaining six months. The New Year brings clear vision of goals and plans but often we lose sight of these intentions as the year goes on. However, if we want to see them become a reality, it’s important to review them before we reach the end of the year.
Our theme this year at Bare Wealth Advisors is a “Year of Purpose”. An important part of successfully doing things with purpose is to pause and evaluate the current state of our life. Our mission at Bare Wealth Advisors is to advise clients to intentionally manage their wealth in a way that aligns with their God-given purpose. Intentional means “done on purpose; deliberate”. To intentionally manage something implies there has to be an end goal one is trying to accomplish.
I believe now is a good time to step back and reflect on how the year is going in all areas of life. Here are a few questions to help get started on evaluating the first half of the year. Are you comfortable with the financial decisions you have made? Have there been unexpected expenses? What has been your greatest success? What has been your biggest regret? Is there a relationship that needs more time or energy? All of these questions can help us evaluate where we are.
I heard the analogy used that if you want to figure out where you are going, you need to know where you currently are. So, as we look ahead to the second half of the year, I believe this exercise in evaluating the first half of the year and our current status is important in setting the course for the upcoming months. After reflecting on the past and where we are currently, I believe it’s important to use the information we have gathered to help determine where we want to go.
Life is full of change and unexpected events so even though we lay out our well thought plans, something is bound to happen that will cause us to adjust our original plan. If we don’t make course corrections, we will end up far from where we originally intended to go. As you consider the remaining six months of 2018 consider these questions: What would need to happen for you to say the second half of 2018 was successful? What conversations need to be had? Are there things you need to stop? Are there things you need to start or restart?
Intentional choices are not only related to our finances. As you consider your life spiritually, emotionally, relationally, financially, pick one thing to focus on in the next 2-6 months. After this is accomplished, find another target. As you make these deliberate choices, you will accomplish more than you expected and can have a greater impact in life.
Vacations With A Purpose
May 31, 2018by Ron Bare
Building on our year of purpose at Bare Wealth Advisors we thought it may be a good time to tackle how to plan and take vacations with purpose. Personally, I have taken a vacation for most of the 20 plus years as we have raised our 4 children. Some of these vacations have been memorable and impactful while others not so much. As I reflect back over the years and think about what stands out the most, I believe a lot has to do with the purpose behind the vacation. Here are a few different ways to vacation with some thoughts on how to be intentional and purposeful as you plan your next getaway:
- Sometimes we just need to get away and relax. Life can be busy as we work, raise our families, serve in our communities, etc. These vacations serve to regroup and find rest in a way that can help us be better employees/employers, spouses, fathers/mothers, friends, etc. Usually, a few days will suffice to accomplish this task – personally, after a few days of rest I can get a little restless. The key here is to find a setting that is restful to you whether that would be the beach, in nature, or some other setting that helps you regroup
- Another type of vacation is a destination vacation. Four years ago my family and I boarded a plane to England to visit family as well as the area my wife’s grandmother grew up. Her grandmother met her grandfather in World War 2 in Manchester England near the Lake District of England. We spent some time with family and saw this beautiful area of the world she lived in before she came to America on a ship. While we were there, we spent a few days in London and Paris visiting historic sites. Our family came away with a better understanding of history and our family’s heritage. This trip helped us to appreciate the sacrifice of previous generations that benefit us today. This is an experience for our family that was worth the financial investment it took to provide this vacation.
- Mission/Service work vacations are some of my favorite. I have had the opportunity to serve alongside others on a few mission trips in my life. I have always come back from them a changed person, with a more healthy perspective in my life and my purpose. Back in 2013, I traveled to South Sudan, Africa to serve under Africa Inland Missions. This trip was a work trip to help build homes for missionaries that would be living in an area with a remote group of people. This experience put me out of my comfort zone in many ways but showed me that God has a plan for each and every person in this world. It also showed me that me being born in America, specifically in Southeast PA, alone puts me in the top few percent of the world’s wealthy – this seemingly random fact requires me to ask God what purpose he has for me and why has He entrusted me with much? I know the Bible teaches me that “to much is given, much is expected” and this trip helped me take intentional steps to use all that I have been given to help others in a way that aligns with the purpose God has for my life.
- Combination trips are another possibility. Earlier this year, under the year of purpose mission, my family traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week. We visited close missionary friends and got a much better view of the work being done for the Dominican people. We also spent a few days at a Dominican beach relaxing and enjoying family time. Not only did we deepen our relationship with our friends, we received a very authentic picture of Dominican life and the friendly warm people who live there. This could not have been accomplished without the “combination” of a vacation with rest and purposefully serving.
There are many ways to plan vacations with a purpose. Remember, no matter what type of vacation you are planning – plan it with purpose as these trips can help shape us into the people God wants us to be. People who are not only concerned about ourselves but also how to serve and honor those in other cultures. These are steps that help us to live a life on purpose!
Retirement With A Purpose
May 1, 2018by Ron Bare
Bare Wealth Advisors is making 2018 a year focused on purpose. One topic that should be discussed in this context is the subject of retirement. Many studies have shown that people who retire from work without a plan or purpose for the next phase of life are more likely to be discouraged, depressed, and disappointed about their life. Statistics also show that those who retire and have no purpose do not live as long as those who have a purpose clearly defined going into this transition. So this begs the question: How do I retire with a purpose?
Here are a few strategies that may help you plan for a purposeful retirement:
- Consider how to spend the extra time on hand: On average we spend about 25% of our time each day at work – that is a considerable amount of time. Rest and leisure are nice and can use some of this time but if all of it is used for rest and leisure you may find yourself in the statistics above.
- Action Step: Make a list of 5 – 10 areas of life you wish to be more intentional in such as health, family, travel, service, etc. Then determine one or two ways to take a step to live more intentionally and purposefully in these areas.
- Define your work: We were made to work. In Genesis, God made Adam and Eve and put them in the garden to work and take care of what was created. God is the ultimate Creator and humans created in God’s image are sub- creators. We are designed to take what God has created on the earth, improve it, and build upon it. Each person has been created with unique gifts to be used in this creation work. Part of our purpose is our work during our careers but even after “retirement” we can find work that fits our gifts and abilities which helps to improve the world around us. Ron Blue uses the term “re-hirement” to describe retirement. Personally, I think this is a good way to look at retirement in that it signals a transition to a new phase rather than a complete stopping of work all together.
- Define “How much is enough?”: After you know what your purpose and plans are for retirement, you should be able to determine how much money will be needed to fund your retirement planning goals. Saving and investing to be able to fund your goals is prudent planning and can help you live a “re-hirement” strategy of your dreams. In this process I have seen that determining how much is enough and setting personal financial finish lines can be part of an intentional plan and help you live retirement on purpose. Excess funds can be used to help you do more than you thought possible in some of the areas listed above. Wealth can be used in a variety of ways when you have an intentional plan for your family, ministry/service work, a new business, community improvement, health and education, etc. Part of your work in #2 above can be strategically allocating financial resources to the areas that are your heart’s deepest desires – I have seen this to be very fun and fulfilling “work”.
Like most areas of life, retiring on purpose takes some planning and intentional work. However the results of this work can lead you to a fulfilling and purposeful “re-hirement”. Many people in life start strong but only a few finish strong. Let’s be a generation that finishes strong by living our remaining years on this earth on purpose!
Purpose
April 2, 2018by Ron Bare
Purpose is defined as “the reason for which something exists” and also “an intended or desired result”. Living a life on purpose means that we first understand there is a reason we are here on this earth and that we are not an accident. Second, it means we should live life on purpose by being intentional in all areas of our life.
As busy people, we can sometimes look for balance in our lives – we even use phrases like “finding work/life balance”. Although there may be some good that comes from not being too focused on one area of life that it negatively affects the other areas of life, perhaps a better way to look at life is to live to the fullest in each area. We are not created to separate our lives into different components or departments acting independently of one another, but rather each area of our lives should work together to complete a beautiful picture of life to the fullest. Jesus said he came to give and provide a full or abundant life (John 10:10). A life of abundance or fullness is not a life of compartments, but rather a life of integration.
As an example, how can I have an abundant life if my job or work life is going well but my marriage or family life is a wreck? If I make terrible financial decisions don’t you think that will trickle into my relationships and emotions? If I have the best marriage in the world but treat my children with no respect or give them no time, do I still have a “full” life? No, each area of our lives affects all parts and to live a full life of purpose we must work on the following:
- Define your purpose – you should first know why you exist and how this relates to the current season in life. We are a Masterpiece or the most special creation (see Eph. 2:10 below). Without a good understanding of who we are it will be hard to make much progress in reaching our purpose.
- Live intentionally – nothing happens unless you make intentional decisions. Each area of your life will take intentionality for you to experience fullness. Good marriages take hard work – good careers take effort and education.
- Be faithful – Most successful people in life will tell you it is the small decisions they make each day that help them accomplish the goals and purpose they have in life.
- Define your work – Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God created us to do “work” and work can be enjoyable and have meaning when we understand it is all part of our purpose in life.
As you reflect on the above thoughts consider the following questions until our next blog:
- What areas of my life are thriving?
- Which areas are suffering?
- How are the thriving and suffering areas affecting each other?
- What is one thing I can do to be more intentional in each area of my life?
15 Year Anniversary
August 3, 2016by Ron Bare
May 12th of 2001 – 15 years this past May, I was led by God to take a step of faith and follow a calling of which I only knew the next step. That next step was to leave a large financial services organization and start a new company, then known as Bare Financial Services. Although I always knew I wanted to be part of an independent company, this transition would require leaving behind a strong start to a career and for the most part would be a new beginning. My wife was expecting our second child and as you would expect the importance of providing for my growing family caused me to consider the risk in such a step.
Now looking back these past years, I am amazed to see how God has worked to help me build a trusted team of advisors and staff to serve a growing and wonderful community through what is now known as Bare Wealth Advisors. Our mission “To help our clients intentionally align wealth with their God-given purpose” was not the initial vision behind the new company – however, over time this is clearly the calling that God wanted to show me in taking that first step back in 2001.
One thing I have seen and learned often over these past 15 years is that when Biblical truth is the basis for financial decision making, you are building upon a firm foundation. This foundation is essential when life brings us things we don’t always see coming. Whether this be a sudden economic downturn (2008), unexpected job loss, or even a financial windfall, one thing that has emerged is that a financial plan built upon Biblical truth is unshakeable. It can help us navigate through both good and difficult times. Sometimes we need to go through hard times so we are more prepared to handle abundant times more faithfully.
According to God’s word, wealth is a tool that God provides. In 1 Timothy, God tells us to be careful to not trust in wealth which is unreliable, but put our trust in God who is completely trustworthy. We should be generous and ready to share with those in need – while finding balance to provide for our families and enjoy the blessings God has given us. Wow, did you get this! – if we put our trust in God and focus on others who are in need, we are more free to enjoy what God has given us! Perhaps this is the secret Paul talks about in Philippians when he talks about learning to be content.
From my experience, many of us either spend too much time worrying about what could happen or feel guilty for having more than we need. What we should be doing is being focused on growing our trust in God and being ready to share with others. This takes the focus off ourselves and frees us to truly live the abundant life Jesus mentioned in John 10:10.
Working alongside each of our clients and learning and applying these principles is what makes it a true honor to serve this community over the past 15 years. It is my hope we will be able to continue to serve the community for many, many more years to come! Thank you so much for your trust in Bare Wealth Advisors and we will continue to work hard for you the next 15 as well. We care about you, as well as the money entrusted to you, and our team looks forward to speaking with you soon!