8-Bit Enlightenment
Summer, 1988.
At nine years old, I struck gold. On a momentous day in the summer of 1988, in the kitchen of my childhood home, I opened a rectangular box and removed a shimmering gold plastic cartridge. ‘ZELDA’ was emblazoned across the lower right in red block letters. I soaked up the reflective glow, placed the cartridge in my Nintendo Entertainment System, and was transported. With my father, brother, and neighborhood friends by my side, I guided an elf-ish character named ‘Link’ across a fantasy world, slaying bizarre creatures in search of yellow triangles (i.e., ‘triforce’) & a girl named ‘Zelda.’
Our mission was clear. But the path proved difficult.
The Going Gets Tough
Relying largely on a compilation of hand-written map sketches in a marbled composition notebook, our team of gamers navigated through the strange terrain. We had acquired some basic skills, useful weapons, and decent techniques but, suddenly, the going got tough. The old tools and strategies were not effective. Faced with new barriers, our progress stalled, and we were left to wander across the 8-bit tundra aimlessly.
Enter the ‘Enlightened Ones’
When all hope appeared to be lost, an issue of ‘Nintendo Power’ dedicated entirely to ‘Legend of Zelda’ hit the magazine stands. ‘Nintendo Power’ was compiled by gaming wizards who fully immersed themselves in games and shared their expert-level strategies and secrets with the Nintendo community. These ‘enlightened ones' had discovered the path forward in ‘Legend of Zelda’ and they served as our ‘video-game Sherpas.’ We proceeded on our journey with clearly denoted maps, recommendations on an organized plan to complete the mission, and interesting tidbits about the ‘Zelda’ universe. The result was victory.
Overcoming Barriers
The video gaming barriers I faced in the summer of 1988 were low stakes. I was a kid, it was summertime, and the only cost involved was the time spent problem-solving and Dorito-snacking with family and friends. As we grow older, life becomes more complex, the stakes get higher, and significant barriers to progress can arise. When, inevitably, we’re faced with a tough hand, progress can be suddenly stifled. All hope is not lost though. Overcoming these barriers is still possible by implementing the right strategies:
Prior Knowledge and Experience: “I’ve been through this before, I can do it again.”
A Problem Solver’s Mindset: “I will arrive at the best possible outcome. I can see the problem and desired goal, therefore, I can create a path to get there.”
Time Management: “It’s on my side, yes, it is!”
Available Resources: “Ah-ha! I’ll call upon this how-to-video, friend, tweet, TikTok, or IRS Publication. That will do it!”
Despite best efforts, however, there are times where limits on the above strategies can leave us feeling stuck. We may have prior knowledge, but the circumstances have changed. A positive mindset and inclination to problem solve may not be enough without a clearly defined action plan. Time constraints imposed by other matters can leave little space to fully overcome the barriers. Available resources are plentiful these days, (maybe, too plentiful!) but are they reliable and informative enough?
If we exhaust this list, what is there left to do?
The Guidance of an ‘Enlightened One’
An expert in a profession provides something that goes beyond the short-list of siloed strategies. Much like the sage advice offered by the gaming wizards at ‘Nintendo Power,’ the ‘enlightened ones' can offer recommendations that are broader in scope, goal-oriented, and customized to your specific needs. Their insights are supported by years of education, preparation, and experience. Since we each arrive at the table with varying issues, unique goals, different personalities and values, the advice MUST match the person & the dedicated, ‘enlightened’ practitioners are best prepared to offer the right guidance.
Real Financial Planners
Far too often in financial planning, placing an individual’s assets in a product is prioritized over serving the person. In fact, certain big-name financial shops that you can find on Main Street in your hometown build their entire business upon getting you invested in their products or strategies. The REAL financial planners out there, those ‘enlightened ones' in my profession, are aware of your complete financial ecosystem & understand the interrelation between each of its components (e.g., taxes, investing, protection, estate planning, budgeting, etc.). Instead of a narrow, siloed focus on one segment of your financial picture, the REAL planners adopt a view of your situation that is panoramic and the path that we collaborate to define is informed by YOU, based on your personal values and goals.
If the barriers to your financial progress have you feeling stuck Greenbeat Financial welcomes an introductory call. We’d be honored to get to know you & explore the ways in which we can help.
