Years ago, I was sitting on an island sharing a meal with the woman who, at the time, was the CEO of one of the largest jewelry companies in the world.

 

I asked her a question.

 

“What would you say is the most important skill or way of thinking that helped you reach this level of success?”

 

She thought about it for a moment... and then said,

 

“Genesis, I would say it's the ability to pivot... To leave behind the things that are not serving you and embrace what is.”

 

I've thought about that answer many times since.

We're taught that successful people stay focused, persevere, don't quit, finish what they start. Yet someone who had reached an extraordinary level of success identified knowing when to pivot as one of the most important skills.

 

Last month, I wrote about what comes after you've made the thoughtful decision in, "You Decided, Now What?"

 

As we move into the last few months of the year, a lot of us will start looking back at the goals we set and the things we said we wanted to accomplish.

 

And instead of immediately asking, "How do I get back on track?" perhaps first ask, "Is this still a goal worth pursuing?"

 

The thing is, we change our minds along the way, and that's okay.

 

Sometimes our circumstances change, our priorities evolve... and sometimes we get far enough down the road to realize that something we thought would matter to us doesn't matter quite as much anymore.

 

That doesn't mean the original goal was wrong. It probably made perfect sense when you set it. And not everything that was once right for you has to remain right for you.

 

Maybe you decided at 35 that retiring at 60 was success. At 55, you actually enjoy your work and would rather work longer and travel more now.

 

Maybe paying off the mortgage was incredibly important when you established the goal, but something changed and now you want to direct some of those resources toward another priority.

 

Maybe you spent years building toward a certain career or lifestyle and eventually realize, I don't actually want this anymore.

 

Sometimes the most thoughtful thing you can do with a goal is change it. Not because it was a bad goal. Not because you failed, or you're giving up. But because you know something now, or want something now, that you didn't when you set the goal.

 

If the goal still matters, keep going. But if it doesn't, you're allowed to change the goal.



The best financial advice begins with understanding what matters most to you.

A Thought to Consider

 

Are you still pursuing the goal because it matters to you or because you've been pursuing it for so long that you've stopped asking?

 

As you look toward the end of the year, it may be worth revisiting some of the goals you've been working toward. Not just to see how much progress you've made, but to ask whether they still reflect what matters to you now. Some will. Some may not. There's value in knowing the difference.

Thank you for letting me spend a few moments with you this month.

 

Until next time,

 

Genesis Bynes

 

Clarity | Longevity | Thoughtful Guidance

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