The TK Advisor - The TK Group Ottawa Blog about Life Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Wealth Mangement and Estate Planning

What is your definition of SUCCESS ?

Several evenings a go I was invited to attend a private dinner in which there were 10 or so people in total who are successful in their various businesses  . Jim who is a successful entrepreneur in Ottawa , the presenter , did a fabulous job in that the presentation was more of a conversation one would have between friends in an open forum . Even though the people in the room were all not familiar to each other , the conversation was easy flowing and people were at ease. Jim asked us to think of what our definition of success was . Here were some definitions people came up with : balance in life , making a difference in peoples lives ,making millions of dollars , great health ,being happy and appreciating where you are today without saying I will be successful when ... 

I believe these are all valid definitions because each one of us takes their own definition and strives to reach that pinnacle of " success". In chasing success , I believe that one can lose their sense of appreciation of where they are I today ? What is important to me and what is just "stuff" ? I believe my definition of this success has changed over the years to adjust to my personal experiences in life . When I was 24 years old , I thought that some day I will be successful when I earn a million dollars of revenue in my company . I remember buying a Rolex watch , in those years every magazine showed successful business people wearing Rolex watches , thinking that this will make me successful . Our conversation was brought around to driving a BMW , unknown to me 6 out of 10 people in the room drove BMW vehicles of various kind , and one of the attendees said that the reason he bought his BMW was to demonstrate success . I understood very well to what this person spoke about because the first BMW i got was for that same reason .

I think that people should stop to rethink their definition of success and then make specific plans to achieve it . Life is a journey and at times we need to do a picture frame freeze and ask " who cares ? so what ? why is this important to me ? ". Do not get caught up chasing someone else's definition of success as I have been at times because you will reach a empty place where you will ask yourself "  why did I ever think this is what I wanted this in my life ?"

Why do people accept bad advice or no advice !

We live in a age of information and yet so many people settle to deal with professional advisers who are not providing them with exceptional value or service . Bad advice costs you a lot of money , time and grief . When you are looking for a advisor , ask for references and do not only focus on educational certifications or credentials . Ask about the individuals personality and make sure you can work with them. Are they going to be truly committed to your well being ? Are they going to go that extra mile to assist you ? How interested are they in learning new things and are they keeping on top of their game ? Are they going to focus on your needs or theirs ? Are they going to only call you at year end like some accountants and or time of a sale like some " sales agents " . There is no set formula but use your resources to find out why that advisor should have the privilege of being hired by you . There are  many good professional advisor's in our city but there are also some that I would certainly not have as part of my team . Speaking of team , when was the last time you had your lawyer , accountant , banker , investment advisor , insurance professional in one room working on a plan to help you get ahead in life and protect you ? Never ? Time to build a strong advisory team that make you the center of their universe .Have a wonderful year and do not settle for less then the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!