Life is complex, and having just one mentor to guide us through it all may not be enough. Building a team of people with different skills and experiences can help us create the life we want. Whether it’s advice, emotional support, or just bouncing ideas off each other, having a group of trusted professionals around us can make all the difference.
Creating a “life team” can make navigating life’s challenges easier and more enjoyable. By intentionally building relationships with people who bring value to your life, you can make better decisions and feel supported. Your life team can consist of professionals with different skills and experiences, like financial advisors, CPAs, attorneys, life coaches, and mentors.
Additionally, having hobbies, practicing wellness, and staying in regular contact with your life team can help you stay centered and achieve your goals.
What Is It and Why Would You Need One?
A life team is a hand-selected group of people that you believe can bring value to your life. These are people can provide valuable, timely advice and help you navigate through the challenges and complexities of life. Being able to learn from others and bounce ideas off each other can be beneficial to both parties, and having trusted professional relationships can help in many aspects of life.
They can act as a sounding board for tough decisions, be there to help with decision-making when at a crossroads, and provide emotional support when the going gets tough.
Building Your Financial Life Team
One aspect of your life team that may already be established is your financial team.
Since everyone has to file taxes, a CPA is usually one of the first relationships that gets established. However, CPAs and accountants usually do more than just taxes and can play a critical role when it comes to helping to build your wealth. They can:
- Help with complex projections
- Reduce your lifetime tax bill
- Assist with business planning
And just like an accountant does more than just taxes, financial advisors typically do more than just investments.
Having a trusted financial advisor in your corner may turn out to be one of the best investments you make because they help steer the ship in your financial life. From helping manage financial risk to growing your net worth to helping uncover and clarify your goals, a financial advisor is there with you through it all.
And when it comes to the legal aspect of finances, a trusted attorney is another professional relationship that can bring value. They can help with estate planning and you want to keep them updated about your situation over time so they can provide better solutions as life changes.
Ideally, these three professionals will work in tandem to provide you with confidence and clarity in both your professional and your financial life.
Finding Your Guides
Most of us spend most of our time on a few things – our family, our hobbies and passions, and our career. When it comes to our careers, it’s easy to begin feeling stuck or complacent and that’s where career and life mentors can play a vital role.
With a career mentor, it’s wise to seek out someone who’s a few years ahead of you as well as someone who’s a couple decades ahead of you.
Why?
because these relationships can help build perspectives that you wouldn’t have and through these conversations, you can create a history that speeds up your own learning curve so you can effectively advance and progress through your career.
A good mentoring relationship is just that – a relationship. It should be valuable to both people.
Take a minute to think about someone in your company who’s in a position you’d like to be in. Personally or professionally. Ask them questions, get feedback, and continue on your growth path.
The Takeaway
By building intentional relationships with professionals who bring value to your life, like mentors, financial advisors, coaches, you can surround yourself with people to help improve certain areas. Don’t forget to also focus on hobbies, wellness, and staying centered, as they can help you achieve your goals and live a more fulfilled life.
Share updates and stay in touch regularly to increase the value of the relationship for everyone. Your life team will feel like they’re a part of your story and mission, and you’ll have the support you need to navigate life’s challenges with greater ease and enjoyment.
