"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
~ George Santayana
It has often been said that when we study the past, we don't repeat mistakes in the future. But the past can instruct us both positively and negatively. We can either grow so accustomed to the culture laden with mistakes that like the old definition of insanity, we can't help repeating them, or we can evaluate and consider past decisions and determine whether or not they bear repeating.
Memorial Day is a great reminder of the importance of memorializing something of worth - the ultimate sacrifice of soldiers for their country and its people surely is something we don't want to forget. The cost is high.
Just like the world takes notice when something of high value is given in world history, we can apply this insightful principle to our financial history. What wise choices and errors have we made that have contributed to our current financial landscape? What can we learn from the past that will help our financial future be more certain?
Objective. Like historians can try to rewrite history, sometimes our memory can be a little unclear. Being objective about our past financial decisions is necessary to get an accurate picture. Emotions cloud our perspective, too. Looking at past records alone is not a good indicator, but framing what was transpiring during significant financial decisions of our lives informs our viewpoint.
Research. Seek counsel and research your possible future financial situation. Utilizing an advisor or attending an Estate Planning Seminar can help your financial planning to be more secure.
Change. Design a new budget with the lessons you have learned in mind. Being realistic will help to prevent disappointment that inevitably comes from trying to live within a budget based on past finances.
As we look to the future, may we embrace the lessons learned from the past and apply them to make our future even more memorable.