It is often a good starting point to accept that things won’t always go to plan.

My family’s happy place is in nature. We enjoy our birding and our two young sons are quickly developing the skill-set, knowledge and enthusiasm to outpace our own abilities. 

I have also always enjoyed photography. One of my toughest subjects to get right has been the oxpecker.

I have taken thousands of pictures of this bird, on all varieties of animals, and never once achieved the shot I wanted.

Composure, focus or light was always lacking. 

Earlier this year, we entered the Hluluwe Imfolozi Park and within 100 meters, we stopped at a puddle in the road.

The oxpecker washing itself came and sat on the bonnet of our car.

The picture above was taken through the windscreen.

Yes, through the windscreen. Not a photographers dream. But the end result is probably the best shot I have ever taken of an oxpecker.

It was all luck. Sure we had to be in the right place. But we could not possibly have planned for this.

And the outcome was better than anything I had achieved previously.

A timely reminder that there are so many things we cannot plan for perfectly.

Things often take longer than we think and rarely work out exactly as we expect.

But as long as the outcome is what we were aiming for, in the time frame we were aiming for, then we should be okay with that. 

It is the outcome that matters right?

I read somewhere the other day  – The best risk management process is financial literacy. 

The idea being, if you can understand how money & markets work, you can set up your finances, plan and investment strategy to capture outcomes that get you to your goals.

You will also manage your expectations around the very wide set of potential outcomes your plan and investment strategy will need to endure.

Ultimately, you will find that you can better weather the inevitable surprises, disappointments and deviations.

And that should make the journey more pleasant and probably even successful. 

#orderpurposeprogress

If you have any questions about the above or would like to see of we are a fit and how I can help support you in managing your financial life please get hold of me:

Email Dominic

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