Chris Kittrell is co-founder and principal of Rather &
Kittrell. He is available at ckittrell@rkcapital.com
Securities offered through Securities Service Network, LLC. Member FINRA /SIPC . Rather & Kittrell, Inc. is a Registered Investment Advisor with the SEC.
HOLIDAY/WINTER 2020 FARRAGUT LIFE 45
What Is Your Why?
by Chris Kittrell
What’s important to you about money?
Stop reading this article, put your coffee
down, turn off the TV and for just a minute,
ask yourself this question. What is truly
important to you about money? There
are no wrong answers. It’s the money you
have now and your ability to earn money
in the future that we’re talking about. It
doesn’t matter whether you have a lot or
very little. It doesn’t matter if you are a saver
or a spender. It doesn’t matter what other
people might think. This is your opportunity
to define what matters most to you as it
relates to money.
In my profession,
I have the privilege
to ask this question
daily, and it never
ceases to amaze me how many people
struggle to articulate their answers. It’s not
that they don’t know; it’s more a reluctance
to say it out loud. I’ve grown to expect the
hesitation and awkward silence when asking
this question. People don’t really want to
talk about it. The question forces thought.
It makes us examine our values, our
motivations and our dreams. Most would
prefer to talk about the current political
crisis, the latest geopolitical catastrophe
or what the stock market is going to do in
the future.
All of these are interesting topics of
discussion but they don’t get you any closer
to ultimately defining your “WHY” that rolls
you out of bed in the morning and off to
your profession of choice. I’ve found that
it’s much easier to
concentrate on the
“HOW” instead of
the “WHY”. Most
of us would much
rather think and
talk about “HOW” we’re going make more
money, “HOW” we’re going to spend our
money or “HOW” we’re going to invest our
money. We spend very little time examining
“WHY” we are going to bust our tails to
make more money, “WHY” we’re going to
spend our money on what’s being marketed
to us at any given moment or “WHY” we
are choosing to invest our money to begin
with. There is great satisfaction available if
you can get crystal clear about your “WHY”
before deciding “HOW”. One of the most
rewarding things I get to experience in my
work life is helping someone get above all
the noise of the “HOW” to the point of truly
concentrating on their “WHY”. It’s where
peace of mind around money begins. It
allows you to say no when confronted with
the next great deal that can’t miss or that
shiny new toy that you don’t really need.
It allows you the freedom to say yes to the
things that matter most like memorable
experiences with the people you love,
giving more to the charities you care about,
or helping a grandchild graduate college
debt- free. The possibilities are endless. So,
before the never-ending details of “HOW”
fill your mind again take a moment and
answer the question: What’s important to
you about money?
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