20 Second Advisor: Your Sphere of Influence

My dad has a wonderful saying that your “sphere of concern and your sphere of influence” should be the same size. When outside forces knock you off track or sideline you with fear, uncertainty or worry, it helps to control the controllable factors in your life. Worried about the market? A consistent dollar cost averaging strategy can help you capitalize on downturns. Stressed about uncertainty in politics or the government? Controlling your home budget and expenses will greatly decrease your dependency on other agencies and will afford you the breathing room to pivot in a crisis. Distracted by rising interest rates and home prices? Focusing on contentment and a disciplined savings habit can help you avoid over-spending in a heated market.

When our sphere of concern grows much larger than our sphere of influence, we may begin to lose hope. Our energy is spent worrying about forces we can’t control. Put another way, focusing on the things that we have influence over gives us autonomy and a sense of agency that we can impact real change. This is where hope is found, and it is contagious!