A few weeks ago, I was catching up with Carl Richards as we talked about his wonderful new book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches. During our conversation, one of my favourite sketches resurfaced.

I’ve seen it many times over the years.

But this time, it stopped me.

Not because it said something new.

Because it reminded me of something I needed to hear.

The sketch couldn’t be simpler.

Two circles.

One represents the things that matter.

The other represents the things we can control.

The lesson isn’t found in either circle.

It’s found in the small space where they overlap.

Simple.

But not easy.

Every day we’re surrounded by things that matter deeply—but that we simply can’t control.

Markets.

The economy.

Politics.

Our health.

The choices our children make.

The opinions of others.

At the same time, it’s surprisingly easy to spend our energy on things we can control that don’t really move our lives forward.

We often mistake being busy for making progress.

After nearly three decades of sitting around kitchen tables and boardroom tables with families, I’ve noticed something.

The people I’ve admired most aren’t necessarily the wealthiest.

They’re the ones who know where to place their attention.

They prepare instead of predict.

They respond instead of react.

They focus instead of fret.

They make time for the people they love.

They have the conversations that matter.

And when life becomes uncertain as it inevitably does they return their attention to the things they can actually influence.

Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the quality of our lives and often the quality of our financial decisions is shaped less by what happens around us and more by where we choose to place our attention.

That doesn’t eliminate uncertainty.

But it changes how we experience it.

One Question

Before you turn the page, I’d invite you to pause for just a moment and ask yourself:

What matters most in my life today… and what can I actually do about it?

I’ve found that question has a remarkable way of cutting through the noise.

Because the truth is, most of us don’t need more information.

We need fewer distractions.

The world will always give us more reasons to worry.

The real challenge is deciding what deserves our attention.

Because where we place our attention ultimately shapes the life we live.

Frank Danielson

Frank Danielson is a Senior Financial Planner with CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. Please contact him at (604) 638-0345 or visit www.danielsongroup.ca to discuss your particular circumstances prior to acting on the information above. CI Assante Wealth Management Ltd. is a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization.