The account of Mary anointing Jesus Christ with oil is recorded in not one, not two, not three, but all four of the Gospels. While there were a lot of opinions expressed by those who witnessed this event, God explained that even more than the actual oil or more than the act of being anointed, the real worth of what Mary did was in her timing.
Sure, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemas honored the Lord by anointing His body after His death, but Mary took opportunity to express her love BEFOREHAND. Scripture says that what she did would become a memorial for all time (Matt 26:13)
This word – BEFOREHAND- also has weight when it comes to living your best life. At its essence, financial planning is a process of planning for things, events, and experiences BEFOREHAND.
And just like most of those around Jesus did not “get it” when Mary poured out expensive oil on the Lord, there are some clients in every financial planning practice who are no different. They simply don’t comprehend the value and worth of planning BEFOREHAND. Rather than model different “WHAT IF” scenarios or comparisons between competing dreams/goals to determine an optimal path forward, there are some households who only communicate with their financial planner AFTER money is spent or a decision is made. In these circumstances, the Planner is relegated to being an archivist. The profound impact that planning can have in a person’s life is mostly squandered.
The timing of when advice is sought and given is perhaps one of the most differentiating features between a Financial Planner and a stockbroker. Both typically manage money on behalf of their clients, but the skills and craft of one is utilized BEFOREHAND, while the other is often just an order-taker.
The LENGTH, BREADTH, and DEPTH of Life
Implied in the story of Mary, is that one shouldn’t just live for the future. Neither should you be epicurean simply living for the day - the future be damned. I believe a good plan encompasses all the dimensions of life.
One of our clients had a long-time work colleague pass away. He was 50 years old. He’d had a serious health scare, made what looked like a strong recovery, and then, unexpectedly, he was gone.
He left behind a wife and children.
By all accounts, they were well prepared financially. The foundation they’d built would take care of them. But think about everything else.
The plans they had together.
The trips, the milestones, the ordinary Tuesdays and the big vacations they’d talked about.
The future they’d been building toward — into their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond.
They never got there.
What is the cost of only looking ahead?
We’ve all heard about people who worked hard, saved diligently, and deferred everything, including Social Security to maximize their benefit at age 70, only to face a health crisis at 66 or 68 or 69 that changed everything.
The benefit they spent years waiting for never fully arrived.
The retirement they’d imagined never looked the way they’d pictured it.
This isn’t an argument against planning. Please don’t hear it that way. It’s a reminder that the present is more certain than the future.
What’s in front of you today is real.
The trip you keep postponing, the people you keep meaning to spend more time with, the thing you’ve been waiting to do “once everything settles down” — those all matter now.
The closer we stay to the present, the more certain the ground beneath us.
The further we project, the more we’re guessing. Coach Lou Holtz is credited with saying, “… the future is just a whole string of nows.” Length, depth, and breadth
When I think about what I want for the people I work with, it’s not just a long retirement.
It’s a full one.
Not just the length of your years, but the depth and breadth of them too.
That means having a real plan — one we revisit regularly and build around and into your actual life.
And it also means giving yourself permission to live now.
To spend on what brings you joy.
To say yes to the trip.
To make the call.
To show up for the people and causes that matter to you.
A plan is simply a tool.
It’s meant to give you confidence so you can live more freely — not something you spend your whole life trying to reach.
Planning for the future is smart. But please don’t do it at the cost of today. Planning matters.
But so does today.
If our work together only helps you feel prepared for tomorrow, I haven’t done enough.
I want you to feel free to live now — with confidence, not just caution.