February 2nd is Ground Hog Day. Each year we may see a few minutes on the news of Punxsutawney Phil and the traditional gathering of people dressed from the 1800’s to rely on Phil’s forecast for the rest of winter. Personally, it always reminds me of the movie, starring Bill Murray.  

Murray’s character, TV weatherman Phil Connors gets caught in a weird loop of living the same day (Ground Hog Day) over and over. Despite his efforts to change fate, as the plot moves forward, he wakes up to find the same exact events will take place.

I think this is relevant in a small way to our human behavior, however not on a daily scale but an annual one.  How often do we say, “this year I’m going to get (fill in the blank) done”?  And then, it seems we are saying the same thing next year!

If you’re procrastinating with certain aspects of financial planning for whatever reason, don’t let it catch you in a continuous loop!

Time may be the most important commodity when it comes to investing. If you’re contributing to a retirement plan or investing for the long term, make sure you are using all advantages available sooner than later.

If there are concerns about planning for the unexpected, for you, your family or the generations above you, the time to do it is now. Everyone should name a Health Care Proxy at any age. Having a Living Will and Power of Attorney in place may also calm many concerns. These are just a few of the many things that should be addressed to get you out of the annual loop.

Peter Janowsky