I started off wanting to write a big, profound piece about what happened in my life over the past 365 days, but slowly realized that 2019 wasn’t a terribly profound year. I realized that I could describe 2019 in just a few words: focus, progress, selfish (in a good way).
Having said that, there were a few things from this year that I wanted to reflect on from 2019.
I’ll break down the year that was into two different sections: Professional and Personal
Professional
In terms of the Living With Money podcast, we started 2019 with Episode 52 and just yesterday published Episode 101. We didn’t miss a Thursday at all this year with new episodes, and that kind of consistency is something I’m very proud of. As I mentioned in Episode 100 of the show, SAYING you’re going to put out weekly podcast episodes is one thing, but actually DOING it is much more difficult. Continuing to grow the podcast, and grow my network of guests has been professionally the most satisfying aspect of 2019.
In March of this year, I began writing on a regular schedule every few weeks. While my posts are surely never ground-breaking investing information, I’ve taken pride in posting blogs that are important to me personally, and hopefully to whoever reads them. On top of doing the podcast, writing is a great way for me to reinforce the financial planning ideas and beliefs that we consistently tell our clients. It has made me a better advisor.
In 2019, I produced every single episode of both the Mullooly Asset Show and the Mullooly Asset Podcast. Having these weekly pieces of content for our firm is tremendously important. It’s the best way to keep our clients informed on our thoughts and a great way to educate those tuning in.
I attended the first annual FinTwit Fest (Wealth/Stack Conference) in Scottsdale, AZ in September. Those few days were incredibly valuable to a young advisor like myself. Not only did I walk away with tons of new information to use in our practice here with clients, but I was also able to meet so many “Twitter friends” in person for the first time. Having a community of experienced, well-rounded, incredibly generous ad
visors to bounce ideas off and share content with is priceless.
If I could narrow down the progress made at Mullooly Asset Management over the span of 2019 into one word it would have to be “focused”. This past year we’ve continued to serve our clients as best as we possibly can, while also getting more focused on the really important things in finance. We’re extremely focused on simply providing the most value possible for our clients, and I think we did a fantastic job this year blocking out un-important distractions and focusing on what really matters.
Personal
2019 was a year of stepping out of my comfort zone personally. That was intentional, but it certainly wasn’t easy.
I started off the year training for 12 weeks through January, February, and March for my first half-marathon. The self-discipline to stick to my running schedule through all of the freezing cold mornings was difficult, but ultimately so satisfying. I crushed my goal of 2 hours on race day, and also raised $5,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
In July I joined a local CrossFit gym, Fitness By The Sea. That probably doesn’t sound like a big deal to a lot of you, but for me it was huge. It was something COMPLETELY brand new for me. New exercises, new workouts, a whole gym of new people I’ve never met. Six months in, not only am I in the best physical shape I’ve been in in years, but I’ve made so many friends I can’t even count.
I served as part of a committee for the non-profit organization Minding Your Mind (MYM) that coordinated a fundraiser bringing in over $75,000 for the organization. MYM’s mission is to reduce the stigma around mental health by providing mental health education for adolescents, teens, and young adults. This is a cause and an organization that I was extremely proud to be a part of, and I look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.
Overall, 2019 was a year of consistency mixed with new endeavors. I was stepping out of my comfort zone while simultaneously settling into consistent routines. I tried new things. I focused on what was important to ME. I said no to more things than I ever had, while also saying yes to more new adventures than ever before. I was selfish this year, but in the best way possible. I’m looking forward to more progress in 2020, both professionally and personally.