The first part of our summer was basically one big family adventure. We spent five out of seven weeks traveling. Yellowstone. Rocky Mountain National Park. Fort Lauderdale for Taekwondo Nationals. Scout camp in northern Minnesota. A lot of miles. A lot of memories. And honestly, a lot of lessons about financial planning, business planning, and how we think about the future.
One of the biggest things that stood out to me was how we set goals, and how life responds to them.
The Yellowstone Goal That Was Never About Yellowstone
Back in 2021, I set a goal that our family would spend the entire summer of 2026 in Yellowstone. At the time, we had just started camping and were loving it. And as I was building my business, we realized that experiences and travel were some of our highest priorities. Time with family outweighed the idea of grinding harder or chasing bigger numbers.
To spend a whole summer in Yellowstone, I knew two things had to happen:
- Our finances needed to support it.
- My business needed to operate without me for an extended period of time.
Fast‑forward to this summer. We didn’t spend the entire summer in Yellowstone. We spent two weeks there, then a week in Rocky Mountain National Park. Then a week in Fort Lauderdale. Then a week at Scout camp.
If I treated that original goal as a fixed point carved in stone, I would have labeled this summer a failure.
But it wasn’t.
It was exactly what author and speaker Carl Richards means when he says,
“Goals should be written in pencil, not carved in stone.”
Life evolved. Our boys got involved in new activities. Opportunities popped up. Priorities shifted. And the real goal, the one underneath the words, came to life.
The goal was never “Yellowstone.” The goal was freedom and flexibility.
And that happened.
Linear Goals Don’t Work in a Nonlinear Life
This is something I see all the time in financial planning and business planning. We set a goal five years out, and then life does what life does. Kids discover new passions. Businesses grow in unexpected directions. Opportunities show up that weren’t even on the radar.
If we cling too tightly to the original version of the goal, we end up feeling like we failed… even when we didn’t.
A long-term goal should be a foggy picture of a future state, not a rigid checklist.
Something like:
- “I want my business structured in a way that gives me flexibility.”
- “I want my finances to support meaningful experiences with my family.”
- “I want to spend more time in places that bring me joy.”
Those are goals that can evolve with life rather than fight against it.
Values First. Numbers Second.
One of the biggest lessons reinforced for me this summer is something I’ve been saying to clients a lot lately:
The right answer and the financial answer are not always the same thing.
Sometimes they line up. Sometimes they don’t.
When we were traveling, we didn’t overspend on knickknacks or random stuff. But we did spend money on experiences. A climbing guide in the Tetons. A fishing charter in Colorado. Parasailing in Fort Lauderdale. A boat ride down Millionaire’s Row. Extra days to explore. Scout camp. All of it.
If I stared only at the spreadsheet, I might have said, “We shouldn’t do that.”
But our values say otherwise.
Our values say experiences matter. Our values say memories matter. Our values say time together matters.
And here’s the thing: we didn’t stop saving. We didn’t miss bills. We didn’t derail our financial plan. We simply spent more than we had allocated for the summer and will replenish that bucket.
That’s what values‑based planning looks like. Your financial plan should serve your life, not the other way around.
If your savings rate is solid and you’re managing your money well, you don’t need to apologize for living your life.
Business Owners: Your Business Should Serve Your Life
This applies just as much to business owners, from veterinarians and medical practice owners to roofers and landscapers, as it does to personal finances.
Many owners set rigid goals for their business and then feel trapped by them. I’ve seen people goal themselves right out of enjoying their work.
Your business should be built in service to your personal vision, not just the business plan.
This summer revealed gaps in my own business structure. When you step away for several weeks, you quickly learn where the systems are strong and where they need reinforcement. Sometimes the best planning happens when you stop planning and start doing.
You don’t need every system perfectly in place before you take action. You learn what your business needs by living your life.
Planning for a Future You Haven’t Fully Defined Yet
Our future vision has shifted over the years. Five years ago, it was “spend a summer in Yellowstone.” Today, it’s more like:
- When it’s hot and muggy in Iowa, we want to be somewhere north on a lake.
- When it’s cold and snowy in Iowa, we want to be somewhere south on the water.
That’s a foggy picture. But it’s enough to start planning.
I don’t need to know the exact lake or the exact beach. I just need to know the direction. And then I can structure my business and finances to support that future state.
That’s what real planning looks like.
The Real Purpose of a Financial Plan
A financial plan isn’t a rigid map. It’s a flexible framework.
It’s a tool that helps you move toward the life you want, even as that life evolves.
It should reflect your values. It should adapt to your reality. It should support your vision. It should give you freedom, not restriction.
If this summer taught me anything, it’s that planning isn’t about predicting the future. It’s about preparing for it, even when it changes.
And it always changes.
If reading this brings up questions about your own plan, your own business structure, or your own future vision, our team is here to help you build something that actually fits your life.
Not the life you thought you “should” want. The life you actually want.