Which is exactly why it keeps walking away every time we get close.
There is an idea I have been thinking about lately, mostly because I have been guilty of it myself. We tell ourselves we are waiting for the perfect time.
The perfect time to start the conversation. The perfect time to update the plan. The perfect time to talk to the kids. The perfect time to get organized. The perfect time to finally deal with that thing we have been meaning to deal with…
The Trouble with Perfect
Perfect sounds wise. It sounds patient. It sounds like something a responsible adult would say while holding a coffee and nodding thoughtfully. But perfect can also be a very polite way of doing nothing.
In financial planning, I see this all the time. People delay important decisions because life feels too busy, too complicated, too uncertain, or just too awkward. And to be fair, some of these conversations are awkward. No one has ever said, “You know what would really liven up Thanksgiving dinner? A detailed review of our estate documents.”
· Updating a will because family dynamics have changed.
· Talking with adult children about wealth, values, and expectations.
· Clarifying charitable wishes before someone else has to guess.
· Making retirement decisions when the future is still unclear.
· Writing down what matters most, even when the words are hard to find.
These are not just financial planning issues. They are human issues. And human issues rarely arrive neatly organized in a binder!
Prepared Beats Perfect
I think the better goal is not perfection. It is preparation. Prepared does not mean every question has been answered. It means the important questions have at least been asked. It means there is a direction. It means the people closest to you are not left trying to read your mind.
That may mean reviewing your retirement income plan, updating estate documents,
clarifying your giving intentions, preparing family members for future responsibilities, or starting the conversation you have been quietly avoiding.
Good planning is not carved in stone. It improves through conversation, reflection, new information, and life experience. In other words, the first version does not have to be perfect. It just has to exist.
One Question Worth Asking
So here is a simple question to sit with:
What important planning conversation have I been delaying because I am waiting for the perfect time?
If something came to mind, that may be your next right step. Not the whole staircase. Not the 87-step master plan. Just the next step.
Your next step: If this sparked something for you, please reach out. We can review where your plan is strong, where it may need attention, and what one practical step would move you closer to being prepared, not perfect. Because perfect may be just around the corner, but prepared is something we can start today.
Preparation is the enemy of perfectionism, because ready beats perfect every time.”
— Unknown
