Things I am grateful for in lockdown

We have been lucky in Australia in terms of COVID, but things are changing pretty quickly. Where we live in regional New South Wales, we have just finished our first week of lockdown since the middle of 2020.

As a business owner it can be tough. However, I think it is so much harder for children who are not able to hang out with their mates, play sport, go to dancing lessons, or do what they would normally enjoy.

Last night at dinner we were talking to our children about the importance of focussing on the positives as a way of better facing the challenges in life. So, in this article I also want to talk about five things about my life for which I am grateful.

Hopefully it will encourage you to also think about some positives in your life whatever you are going through or wherever you are.

Our family

I am extremely lucky to have a wonderful family. I have a wife that not only has to look after three kids, but also has to stop me from doing silly things. She has opened my eyes to a much bigger world.

We have two wonderful kids. Our eldest is nearly 12, but he has already done so much to make us proud. He pretended he could read when he went to the pre-kindergarten interview; he got up on stage and sang in front of the whole school when he was only five; he has excelled in nearly every sport he tried with some of the highlights being the top goal scorer at soccer and going to the state championships for athletics and cross country.

Our youngest is nearly five. She is a great combination of being funny, adventurous and determined. We really look forward to watching her grow.

Our clients

I have had three different careers. A wool buyer and exporter; a public servant; and now as a financial adviser.

In each of these roles there have been different levels of satisfaction. As a wool buyer I got to work with some great people both in Australia and overseas. As a public servant, I was able to work on things that had positive impacts on Australia more broadly.

However, none of these compare to the satisfaction of showing people how they could do things they thought were out of reach. For example, in the last few months I have shown someone how to retire 10 years earlier than they thought possible; another person will have $300,000 more in their super when they retire (without making more contributions!); and several people have bought their dream home with the confidence and certainty that it wouldn’t derail their future.

Being trusted

There is nothing more satisfying to me than being trusted by our clients. They not only trust me with their money, but often I get told things they haven’t told anyone else about themselves. A great example of this happened recently where clients told me they were pregnant. This is not unusual, except I was literally the first person they told. What an honour and a privilege.

Our business

Fiona and I are extremely lucky that we have a business that allows us to both work from home. It wasn’t always this way, but it means that we aren’t as disrupted by going through lock down as many other businesses.

Our support

Finally, Fiona and I have an incredibly wonderful support team. The list is long, but includes my parents who are always willing to jump in and help out with the kids; friends that are always there to listen, offer advice, but above all doing this without judging; and business/lifestyle coaches that help guide, encourage, and keep us accountable.

I hope this has given you the opportunity to take some time and reflect on the positive things in your life.

We specialise in helping people build wealth to give them certainty for the future. If you would like to discuss how we could help you, book a chat via the button below, call on 0417034252 or email at office@constructwealth.com.au.

About the Author
Phil Harvey is an independent financial adviser. In 2017 Phil set up his company Construct Wealth to help clients best manage their finances so they focus on what is important to them. He is a founding member of the Profession of Independent Financial Advisers and a tax financial adviser, registered with the Tax Practitioners Board.

General Advice Warning
This advice contains general information. It may not be suitable to you because it does not consider your personal circumstances. Phil Harvey and Construct Wealth are authorised representatives of Independent Financial Advisers Australia (AFSL 464629)

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