Starting in the Middle: Why Your Financial Story Doesn't Need a Perfect Beginning
Over the holidays, my family escaped to Estes Park in Colorado for a few days of quiet. No TVs, sketchy cell service, and a stone fireplace that worked. While exploring the bookshelf (you know, that eclectic mix of Tom Clancy novels and self-help books that every cabin seems to have), I discovered a worn copy of Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird.
The bookmark was stuck somewhere around page 150, so naturally, that's where I started reading.
And you know what? It made perfect sense. Lamott was mid-story about her brother's procrastination on a school report about birds, but I didn't need the beginning to understand her point about taking life "bird by bird" – one small step at a time.
This got me thinking about how many of us approach our financial lives with the belief that we need a perfect beginning. That somehow, if we didn't start investing at 22 or if we made some questionable money choices in our thirties, we've ruined the whole story.
But here's what I've learned from many years of helping people with their money: The best financial stories rarely have perfect beginnings. They start in the middle – messy, imperfect, and absolutely worthy of a happy ending.
The Myth of the Fresh Start
Every January, we're bombarded with messages about "fresh starts" and "new beginnings.” But what if you're 45 with a drawer full of old 401(k) statements you're afraid to open? What if you're newly divorced at 52, starting over with half of everything? What if you're 38 and just now realizing that your spending patterns look like a Jackson Pollock painting – chaotic but somehow still functioning?
The pressure to have a pristine financial beginning can be paralyzing. It's like refusing to join a book club because you haven't read all the previous selections. Or never learning to ski because you didn't start when you were five.
But here's the thing about starting in the middle: You already know things that beginners don't. You've lived through market crashes, job losses, unexpected expenses. You have what my kids would call "street cred" – real-life experience that no perfect beginning could provide.
Your Chapter 7 Might Be Someone’s Chapter 1
One of my clients recently said something that stopped me in my tracks: "I feel like I'm starting Chapter 7 of my financial life while everyone else is on Chapter 20.”
First of all, who says there's a standard number of chapters?
Second, and more importantly, Chapter 7 might be exactly where the story gets good. Think about every compelling story you've ever loved – did the interesting stuff happen in Chapter 1? Usually not. The hero typically stumbles around for a while before finding their path.
When Anne Lamott writes about getting sober in her forties, she doesn't apologize for not doing it in her twenties. She starts where she started, and that becomes part of her power. Your financial story is the same.
The Middle is Where Life Happens
Starting in the middle means you get to skip the boring exposition. You don't need to explain why you're here or apologize for not being somewhere else. You just need to look at where you are and ask, "What's my next move?"
This January, instead of creating elaborate fresh-start fantasies, what if you simply picked up your financial story wherever you left off? Like reading Lamott from page 150, you might find that you understand more than you think.
Maybe your middle looks like:
Finally consolidating those old retirement accounts
Having your first real conversation about money with your partner
Deciding to save 1% more this year (just 1%, nothing dramatic)
Admitting you need help and actually scheduling that financial planning meeting
Your Story, Your Timeline
As I sat by that Colorado fireplace, reading Lamott out of order and drinking coffee that was definitely not worth writing home about, I felt oddly liberated. No one was grading my reading comprehension. No one cared that I skipped the beginning.
Your financial story deserves the same grace. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
The perfect beginning is the one that actually begins.
Live a wealthy life. - Mindy
Investment advisory services offered through Truman Wealth Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor. The firm’s ADV Brochure and Form CRS are available, at no charge, on our website https://www.trumanwealthadvisors.com. They include important disclosures and should be read carefully.
This material has been prepared for information purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for accounting, legal, investment, or tax advice. No investment decision should be made based solely on information provided herein. There is a risk of loss from an investment in securities, including the loss of principal. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk, and there can be no assurance that any specific investment will be profitable or suitable for an investor’s financial situation or risk tolerance. Before investing, consider investment objectives, risks, fees, and expenses. Truman does not provide tax or legal advice.
