Case Studies

Primary Goal

Optimize their life and resources around movement, health, and fitness.

The Challenge:

David and Gwen are at a point where life seems to be busier than ever and they are having a tough time prioritizing their own self-care and aligning with values that they truly believe in (movement, health, & fitness). They were both high-level college athletes and agree that they want to be great examples to their children as it relates to taking care of oneself. Finally, David and Gwen both experienced their parents passing away at earlier ages due to health issues. This should motivate them to prioritize their health, but with the busy-ness of work and family activities, it seems to be taking the backseat.

Financially, David & Gwen are in a solid position. They both have great jobs that they love and they are able to easily cover their living expenses, handle the costs of all of their children’s sports & activities, go on quarterly vacations, and save for retirement (and other longer-term goals). However, they are struggling with the following:

• Over the last several years, why has it been so hard for us to prioritize the values of movement, health, and fitness?
• Do we need to scale back on work or cut back on certain expenses in order to spend money on things that promote our health & well-being?
• What benefits are we not taking advantage of from our employer-sponsored benefits that could help with prioritizing our health & fitness?
• With the post-COVID world, should we mix things up outside of working out in our garage gym and running outside? Do we need more motivation from fitness instructors or other people?
• What other ways outside of working out and running can we spend our money in a way that aligns with prioritizing our health & fitness?
• Our children are getting older and really pay attention to what we do. Are we doing enough to set a good example of what true self-care looks like?

After putting their feet down (enough is enough), they are both looking for someone to objectively guide them and hold them accountable. They are so busy that they want someone to nudge them to where they need to go. David and Gwen ultimately want to take action in a way that aligns with their deep values of movement, health, and fitness.

The Approach:

In order to push through the lack of motivation or obstacles in front of them, it was important for David & Gwen to understand their “why”, get very clear on what was most important to them, and create a vision that lit a fire for them – to never let up. They needed a financial coach and registered life planner to be a sounding board, accountability partner, and guide as they figured out what their next best step should be.

The Results:

After going through the EVOKE process with their registered life planner, David & Gwen talked amongst themselves (and their life planner) in ways that they had never before done. Excitement, fear, dreams, etc. – all of the emotions and deepest thoughts came to the forefront. This allowed for them to get very clear on the vision that they wanted for their life. With that, it was easy to create a comprehensive life plan to move them in the right direction:

• Gwen really expressed how much she valued exercising, running, going on a hike, or taking a group class with David (and sometimes their children). This was a surprise to David and now that he was aware, a big aspect of their Life Plan was to schedule time together – which would promote their values of movement, health, and fitness.
• David came to terms with not having enough time to eat in a way that he always wanted – all organic, fresh, mostly vegan, etc. He always felt that it would be too expensive or inconvenience Gwen and their children. They talked things through and committed to a meal delivery service that they could fit into their budget.
• Both David and Gwen shared that they would rather go on adventurous, outdoors-focused vacations with their children (than fancy trips they have done in the past). They put this into their Life Plan and will make sure to come up with fun ideas as a family for the upcoming years before their children go off to college.

Because both David and Gwen have a lot going on (both working full-time, four children, etc.), they work with their registered life planner on an ongoing basis – typically meeting every other month for either “check-ins” or “working meetings”. Their life planner understands what their values are and makes sure that all of their actions and goals are in alignment. The accountability and guidance from their life planner is huge for them, and it has made their lives easier, more fulfilling, and less stressful.