There’s this great video knocking around the internet at the minute. Although it’s an advert for Google, the story it tells isn’t really about Google.

It’s really about family, and how we both remember the great experiences we have in our lives as well as share these experiences with our children as they grow. (you can watch the video below).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk

In the video, Daniel shares his written memories, along with using images and video to bring his memories to life and sends his daughter, Sophie, an email every time something meaningful happens in their families life.

I love this video for a bunch of different reasons. It’s about family! My youngest daughter is also a Sophie! It seems like a smart way of creating and remembering memories which Daniel can easily share with Sophie when she’s older and…

….it shows the power of spending some time on a regular basis writing about our lives.

There’s power in recording, either in writing, using photos, or using video, the important things that have happened in our lives.

However one thing many of us don’t do as much is take the time either using the written word or imagery to focus on our goals in the opposite direction…

What I’m talking here about spending some time, every now and again, not focusing on remembering the good times in the past (important as this is)…..but focusing on what you want to do in the future.

Most of us have hopes, dreams and aspirations about our future lives. However relatively few of us take the time to write about our hopes, dreams and aspirations and then plan to achieve them.

Now, you might expect, on the blog of a financial planning business that I’m talking just about the ‘financial plan’.

However the reality is that if we start planning for the future just relative to the money we earn it’s not emotionally engaging enough to drive us towards our goal.

So, whilst having the financial resources to live the life you want to will play a part, it’s worth asking some non financial questions of yourself first. Questions like…

If you only had a year to live how would you spend this time? How about a month left? How about a day?

What would your ‘ideal year’ look?

Who would you spend your time with?

What’s still on your ‘life list’?

What do you love to do?

Whilst we spend a lot of time with our clients helping them with some of the technical elements of managing wealth many of the conversations we have aren’t financial related. They are conversations about aspiration, hopes and dreams.

For us understanding more about someones hopes, dreams, aspirations and interests allows us to far more effectively help our clients to plan the life they want.

However the reality is that you don’t need a financial planner (or even a crystal ball) to plan for the future.

It starts, like Daniel did in the above video, by taking some time regularly to think about your life whilst writing and visualising your life as you see fit. However unlike Daniel there’s some real value in not only looking back….but also looking into the future.

Once you’re understood what you want to achieve in your life it allows you to take some clear action to get closer to the life you want, be it emotionally, in relation to your health or financially.

I think Daniels idea is great.

Looking back at some of the funniest, exciting and breathtaking experiences in my life is one of the things that helps me keep humble, grateful and grounded in what’s important.

However it’s worth taking some time to thing about for your future goals, hopes, dreams and aspirations. This allows you to plan, and then take action…

…So, and probably just like Daniel and his family, you’re long term future is just as great as your past.