Keep your eye focused on the goal

As originally appeared in The Jerusalem Post on December 21, 2024.

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” -Thomas Jefferson

Each time one of our children hit the age of 15.5 we knew that the issue of getting a driver’s license was going to start. Even though they can’t start the process for at least another 6 months it was inevitable that we would hear them making their plans as well as their despair when they heard how much it would cost. Even now that there has been a reform, it still costs way more than it should to get a driver’s license. And it’s not like they get their license and turn out to be Formula 1 drivers. They are horrible in many cases. My wife and I made it clear to each child that they would get a small subsidy for the lessons but most of the expense would fall on them. After all the bellyaching from the children it was cool to watch them figure out ways to make money and achieve their goal.

In this week’s Torah portion, we read about how Jacob sent Yosef to look for his brothers.
“A man found him, and he was wandering in the field and the man asked him what he was seeking (Mah Tevakesh?). Yosef responded, ‘It is my brothers that I seek, please tell me where they are pasturing.’” [Bereishit 37:15-16]

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk interprets the verse, “And the man asked him what he was seeking,” homiletically. The Angel Gavriel told Yosef: “Listen well, Yosef. You are about to embark on one of the greatest odysseys in the history of mankind. You are going to be thrown into a pit. You are going to be taken down to Egypt. You are going to be sold into slavery. You are going to be falsely accused. You are going to spend time in a dungeon. Then you are going to be taken out of the dungeon and become the viceroy in Egypt. In your lifetime, you are going to experience the greatest heights and the greatest depths. What is the key to success under those circumstances? The key is to remember one thing: ‘Mah Tevakesh?’ You always have to be focused on what you want to accomplish in life (what is it you seek?).”

When it comes to a secure financial future, I can’t stress the importance of focusing on the long-term and trusting the process, not wavering. When it comes to creating wealth, patience and steadfastness really are virtues. You are not going to get rich overnight. It’s a long process with bumps in the road. Staying the course is key. Trust the process. Denny Baish of Fort Pitt Capital group wrote, “In the world of investing, it’s common for some people to experience a bit of buyer’s remorse. Not the kind you get when you make a big Black Friday purchase, but the kind investors might experience during times of market volatility or turmoil.” He gives 3 tips:

1. Trust the process. It’s important to trust your investment strategy and do your best to tune out the talking heads that create fierce headlines and may strike fear or hesitation into an investor.
2. Make decisions when life’s circumstances change, not your emotions. It’s best to make allocation changes based on what’s changing in your life, and not your emotions. Some life events that could drive change include retiring, switching careers, expanding your family, or receiving a raise.
3. Ask for help and guidance. Part of having trust in your investment decisions is knowing exactly what they are. A financial advisor can not only help take some of the emotions out of investing, but they can answer any questions you might have along the way so that you know exactly what you’re investing in and what the strategy is to accomplish your financial goals.

The big question you need to ask yourself is what are your goals? That’s not always as easy an answer as you might think. Part of the challenge is that these are YOUR goals, not your family members or friend’s goals. You have your own unique financial situation and as such what you may need to focus on is not what your sister or best friend needs to focus on. I recently met with 3 sisters who received an inheritance. They all came together to discuss what to do with the money. I told them that I am only going to speak in generalizations as each situation has its own challenges. I could sense that 1 sister had some issues that she didn’t want to share. After the meeting they all walked out together, and then 5 minutes later, she came back and sat with me and discussed her financial situation, which was much more precarious than her sisters’, and she didn’t want them to know.

It’s a long road but if you remain focused on your goals and trust the process, there’s a great chance that you will achieve financial success.

The information contained in this article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates.

Aaron Katsman is the author of Retirement GPS: How to Navigate Your Way to A Secure Financial Future with Global Investing (McGraw-Hill), and is a licensed financial professional both in the United States and Israel, and helps people who open investment accounts in the United States. Securities are offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. (www.prginc.net). Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, SIFMA, FSI. For more information, call (02) 624-0995 visit www.aaronkatsman.com or email aaron@lighthousecapital.co.il.