Sacrifice the Sacrifice
Put yourself in the best possible position to succeed by making decisions that are consistent with who you are and what you want to accomplish

​Take care of yourself.  No one else will do it as well as you can.
 
Put yourself first.
 
Look out for number one and try not to step in number two!
 
You have probably heard one or all these sayings before.  If you have, it is possible that you misunderstood the value in the message and wrote it off as something intended for a person who is selfish or disinterested in the world around them.  I’d like to suggest an alternative way of thinking that may help you better evaluate this advice the next time you consider it.
 
When we conduct financial training with members and prospective members of the credit union, one of the concepts we share is to pay yourself first.  We offer this advice to assist someone who is interested in establishing or maintaining habits that form the foundation for sound personal financial management.  If you make savings a habit by ensuring you save first and pay expenses second, you will help yourself to a stronger financial situation.  Saving before you spend helps you to ensure that you live within your means and may even set the table for a time when you do not have to borrow or carry credit card debt.
 
You will always be stronger financially if you pay yourself first.  If you are stronger financially, you will preserve more options for yourself and be in a much better position to spend or even splurge when the need or want arises.
 
Concentrating on yourself in the broader sense is no different.  Those who have already ascertained the value of this concept and are applying it in their lives understand that the best way for them to achieve their goals and contribute value to the world is to be the best person they can be first.
 
Police Officers are known for, and deservedly so, making sacrifices in the line of duty.  To be the best Police Officer he or she can be, a person must first decide that the work of being a Police Officer is their calling.  In other words, the sacrifices they ultimately make are made possible through the decision that being a Police Officer is the vocation that best represents who they are and what will put them in the best possible situation to enjoy success and happiness in life.  The process of becoming a Police Officer is not a sacrifice.  Every Police Officer knows that the inevitable sacrifices take place later and are part of the job.
 
Parents make sacrifices every day, especially those that are active participants in parenting.  Becoming a parent is a wonderful, life changing experience and everything, but a sacrifice.  Plenty of sacrifices will take place from that day forward, but the decision to become a parent is by no means a sacrifice.
 
This is an important delineation. If you believe that the decision you make to pursue a career or become a parent is, itself, a sacrifice, you are making that decision for the wrong reason.  Sacrifice is not a motivation and basing your decision to do anything on a belief that you are making a sacrifice is not sustainable.
 
If you begin a conversation by guessing what the other person wants to hear, you are sacrificing your insight and the value of your true thoughts.
 
If you take action without a core belief that it is the right action to act, you will undoubtedly act without conviction.
 
Anything worth pursuing takes your whole heart and mind, and a skill set that helps you to rise to the challenge of the pursuit.  Starting with the idea of sacrifice will only drag you down, however, sacrifice that occurs as the result of your whole-hearted, all-in pursuit is just part of the deal.  
 
The bottom line is that you will put yourself in the best possible position to succeed in life if you make decisions that are consistent with who you are and what you really want to accomplish.  When you do this, you will be at your strongest and you will be most capable of effectively handling whatever challenges you face.  The strongest and most valuable representation of you is the one who will be able to best face up to and minimize the sacrifices that are inevitably part of any worthwhile pursuit.
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Freedom of Familiarity?
We may have to be resolved to our physical confinement and restrictions for the foreseeable future, but that does not mean that our mental and emotional beings need to be confined by those same restraints

As I may have mentioned on a few occasions, sometimes an idea for an article pops into my head and the words immediately pour out.  Other times, I get the idea and all the words roll around in my head for a while before they eventually assemble in a cohesive way.  What you are about to read falls into the latter category.  As you read it, you will likely understand why this composition crystalized at this time.
 
Every one of us has a comfort zone, a place where we find peace, safety, love, and happiness.  Your comfort zone may be your home or anywhere you happen to be in the same place as your spouse or your best friend.   Your comfort zone may be your favorite vacation spot or your local coffee house.  Wherever you are most likely to feel your best, strongest, most confident self on full display, that is your comfort zone.
 
Your comfort zone is likely different than mine, but there are almost certainly common threads amongst our definitions.  I mentioned a few of them already; peace, love, happiness, strength, confidence.  How about familiarity?  When you have familiarity with someone or something, you are free to be yourself and when you are true to yourself, you are the best version of yourself.
 
When you exist in this zone, you can accomplish great things.  The confidence that you feel in your comfort zone should liberate you from your inhibitions and help you to unlock your potential and challenge yourself to learn more and expand your horizons.  After all, if it does get scary as you progress forward, you can always come back to your comfort zone.
 
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work this way.  Whether it is the allure of all that comfort and peace or a desire to shelter yourself from anything that might disappoint or frustrate you, you may very well be tempted to stay in that zone as much as possible once you have found it.
 
However you view your comfort zone and whatever amount of time you spend in it, ask yourself this question: Would your feelings about it and the time you spend there change if you couldn’t leave?  If you suddenly did not have any choice, but to stay in your comfort zone, would the familiarity of it set you free or trap you?
 
My view on my comfort zone is analogous to a lap top and its docking station.  The purpose of the laptop is to create mobility and versatility for you and the tasks that you need to complete.  When the laptop has done its job for the day and its battery power begins to wane, you pop it snugly back into its docking station, where it re-charges, syncs up, and gets ready for the next day.
 
When the laptop works in concert with its docking station, it is perfectly suited for the tasks at hand.  If it never docked, it would never sync with the broader system to which it is attached, and it would ultimately run out of charge and value to you.  Conversely, if the laptop never left the docking station, there would be no point in having one because the reasons you own it would be negated by the complete lack of mobility and versatility now trapped in the docking station.
 
In my mind, if you choose to never leave your comfort zone you are negating the value of your comfort zone and resigning yourself to a life of perpetually untapped potential, limited or no opportunity for growth, and confinement in place of freedom.  The only decision you are making in this scenario is the decision to stay where you are.  I guess that because you are making that choice, you could fool yourself into thinking that you have chosen to be where you are.  But, what if that choice is taken away?
 
The power of choice and the freedom to make your own decisions are the greatest and most powerful freedoms you have.  If that power is taken from you for a short amount of time for a cause or a reason that you understand, chances are great that you would still be willing to sacrifice your decision making for the greater good.
 
What if the circumstances aren’t so clear and the time frame is even fuzzier?  How long would you be willing to make that sacrifice and what would you want in exchange for making it?
 
Adverse and difficult times have a way of bringing the best out of you.  It might be because they cause you to look at yourself and the world around you in a different way, or that they create a different focus for you.  Sometimes, the challenges you face are simplified when there is one overriding factor that looms so large, you have no choice but to stand together with those around you and face it.
 
Friends and family are typically front and center during tough times.  If you appreciated them before facing those tough times, you probably appreciate them even more so while you face those times and if you were taking them for granted, you may realize that and make it a point to let them know how much they really mean to you.
 
As we all face these difficult times together, confined to our individual comfort zones and temporarily deprived of many of our basic and most powerful freedoms, let’s make it a point not to let those same comfort zones trap us now or on the other side of this adversity.
 
We may have to be resolved to our physical confinement and restrictions for the foreseeable future, but that does not mean that our mental and emotional beings need to be confined by those same restraints.
 
I am going to make it a point to continue to find ways to expand my mind, harness my emotions, and strengthen my resolve to be a better person in the short and long term.  What are you going to do?
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​This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

While none of us have any way of telling what is around any corner, shouldn’t we all instinctively know that we should be prepared for the unexpected or unforeseen, whatever it turns out to be? 

Decision Points are part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

The Afternoon Sun

There is just something about that afternoon sun.
 
I am drawn to the sun like the Energizer bunny is drawn to that battery of his.  I am absolutely happier when the sun is out, and I am more productive when the days (as measured by dawn to dusk) are longer.  It is easier for me to get up and get going when the sun has already risen, and I tend to think more optimistically when the sun is shining brightly.
 
All of this begs the question of why in the world I live in Chicago, but that is a topic for another day. For now, let’s just say that living in an area that experiences way more than its share of clouds and cold makes me appreciate the sun even more when I can get it, especially when I go on vacation to find it.
 
As much as I love the sun, the afternoon sun, which I define as the sun between 4:00 and 6:00 is my favorite.  Having just returned from a sunny vacation, during which I had plenty of time to think about the afternoon sun and to contemplate its wonderous effect on me, I thought I would share a few of my observations in the hopes they might resonate with you and inspire you to seek out your own sunny time.
 
While there are many qualities of afternoon sun and many ways that I have found to enjoy that time, I can summarize those qualities and source of enjoyment in three words; 
Warmth, Reflection, and Opportunity.
 
My guess is that if I posed the question of whether you prefer the heat or the cold, the answers would be pretty evenly split, but the concept of warmth unites us all.  Warmth is that center of the thermometer that everybody can agree on.  Whether you gravitate toward the heat of a summer day or you like the cold crisp air of winter, you seek warmth as your comfort zone.  I have never met anybody who prefers to be subject to blazing heat or freezing cold twenty-four hours a day!  
 
I have been fortunate to experience afternoon sun in many places and climates and when it comes time for that sun to tilt toward its final descent on the horizon for the day, the warmth it generates is my definition of perfection.  On what has been a hot day, the less pleasant elements such as humidity and the fiery mid-day burn subside and are replaced by a temperate glow.  On a cold day when it takes a little longer for the sun to reach its full potential, the afternoon sum often creates the warmest time of the day and eases the harshness of a greyer, less inviting sky.

I have also found that the afternoon sun creates the best time to reflect on the day.  I think this is so because enough of the day has transpired for me to have a good idea of what has been or will be accomplished, but there is still enough time to influence that direction one way or the other before the day ends completely.  In fact, although I am inside right now, I am enjoying a view of some afternoon sun as I write this article and reflect on these observations and where they are headed.
 
A feeling of warmth and a moment of reflection always lead me to contemplate my next opportunity.  I always say that you can’t possibly know where you are going without first understanding where you are and where you have been.  The afternoon sun amplifies my appreciation for the day and what I have experienced and, at the same time, whets my appetite for the opportunity presented by the remainder of the day.  Sometimes, the opportunity is a nice dinner or a card game with my family.  On other occasions, it might be an event that I have looked forward to for a long time.  The opportunity may be as simple as a chance to write a few thoughts down. However small or insignificant the opportunity may be, there is still an opportunity to consider during that afternoon sun.
 
I find warmth, reflection, and opportunity in my afternoon sun and I have defined that as my favorite time in a lifelong appreciation and pursuit of the sun.  My ability to understand and savor these moments brings me joy and a feeling that I have gotten the most out of a day.  Whether or not the afternoon sun means the same thing to you is irrelevant as long as you seek and appreciate your equivalent on a regular basis.
 
Does the warmth that I describe in my afternoon sun define a feeling of comfort and respite for you?  Your warmth may just be your peace of mind or the perfect balance of your emotions.
 
Do you make it a point to reflect each day?  Do you take time to soak up and celebrate something that has gone well?  Do you give thought to things that didn’t go according to plan and figure out how you will do things differently the next time?
 
Do you see opportunity around the corner?  Do you spend a few minutes figuring out where you are at in the day and then set a course for capitalizing on that moment before that day ends?
 
Any day in which you experience warmth, reflection, and opportunity is a great day!  If you have found that time or place to regularly enjoy these things, hold on to it and appreciate it fully.  If you have not, seek it out and don’t stop until you’ve identified it.
 
One last thing about the significance of that afternoon sun and I think about it every time I have the pleasure of enjoying that time with a clear and unobstructed view of the sky. Eventually, that same sun is going to set on the horizon in front of me and rise on the horizon behind me again tomorrow.  My job is to get the most out of the day in between!
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​This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

​A New Use for an Old Cliché: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

​This cliché is meant to convey the importance of what you do relative to what you say; that the action that you take should carry more weight than whatever you said you were going to do or not do.
 
While I agree that your actions are often a clearer indicator of who you are and what you stand for than who you say you are, I don’t care for the implication that it is acceptable for your actions and your words to not be in alignment with each other.
 
In fact, I would offer that there is no sweeter harmony than your words and actions acting in concert with one another.  I also think that it is more important to convey a clear, easy to follow message than a loud one.  As an example, would you rather communicate with someone who is simply boisterous or someone who speaks conversationally and is easy to understand?
 
When your actions are reflective of who you are and what you say, you will enjoy more power and benefit from an increase in your credibility as a result. 
 
Your additional power will be derived from the influence you will gain over those around you.  People are naturally attracted to and/or willing to follow those who demonstrate strong character and the ability to do what they say and say what they mean.  If you are, or become, one of those people, your sphere of influence will naturally expand.
 
Your increased credibility will be a byproduct of the trust that will be gained by being someone that others can rely on no matter the circumstances. When you prove that you are a go-to person for others, you will be called upon at moments and during times that will give you an opportunity to differentiate yourself from the pack.  A go-to person is valuable to any team and value is often a pre-requisite to new opportunities and additional compensation.
 
So, while it may be true that your actions will carry more weight than your words, it is far more important for your actions to be in sync with your words, and both your actions and your words will count for more if they compliment each other and work together to best represent you and your true character.
 
By Scott Arney, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union.
This article is part of Arney's new series, entitled A New Use for an Old Cliché.
This installment is part of Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

The Opposite is Also True
Equally important to making good decisions on a consistent basis is your ability to relate to others. 
​
It is a well-established fact that if you flip a coin 100 times, the coin will land heads up around 50 times.
 
If rain is a possibility in a weather forecast, the prediction will usually be based on a percentage chance of that rain, such as “there is a 40% chance of rain tomorrow.”
 
A law of physics is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
 
Why am I telling you these things?  Because, the opposite is also true.
 
If a coin lands heads up 50 times out of a hundred, it will also land tails up 50 times.
 
If there is a 40% chance of rain, it also means that there is a 60% chance it won’t rain.
 
When you take action, you should expect that there is going to be a direct and proportionately related consequence for the action that you have taken.
 
While these are objective, mathematical and scientific truths, I am more interested in their relationship between your focus and the one that represents the opposite side of the consideration at hand.  For example, you may focus on the fact that there is a 40% chance of rain and I may be more apt to concentrate on the 60% likelihood that it won’t rain. Either way, we’re both justified in our view and our focus is valid.
 
The relationship between your focus and mine is also important from a subjective standpoint.
 
When you have a belief, or you have developed an opinion on a particular subject, how much of your belief or opinion is solely focused on your point of view?  Might your opinion be altered if you considered the alternate point of view?  In my opinion, the answer to that question is a resounding yes!
 
If your aim is to be a consistently good decision-maker, your ability to gather and understand all pertinent information prior to making decisions is going to be at the center of your ability, and to make a habit of doing so will help you maintain the consistency that you will need to do to make good decisions on a regular basis.
 
Equally important to making good decisions on a consistent basis is your ability to relate to others.  If your decisions are going to be impactful and understood, you will need to demonstrate that you can relate to those around you by taking note of their views and opinions even if they contrast with yours, because the opposite view is just as true to them as your views are to you.
 
Setting out to always agree with others will set you up to fail miserably.  If your goal is to be understood and to understand what others think and why, you will be much more likely to achieve that objective.
 
Understanding alternate points of view and unique takes on a situation will help you to make better decisions for yourself and put you in a better position to relate to and potentially be in position to have a positive influence on those around you, especially those you care about.
 
If you first take the time to understand someone else and their viewpoint, you will have an easier time expressing your view and where it diverges.  Furthermore, you will have a strategic advantage if you are engaged in a debate and the party on the other side of the debate hasn’t taken any time to understand you and your opinions.
 
Think about it.  If you understand your opponents view and your own, and your opponent only understands their own opinion, who will be more likely to win that debate?
 
For the last several years, much has been said about how polarized our society has become.  For what it is worth, I think one of the main reasons for this is that many people just don’t take the time to understand alternative thoughts or ideas.  Some don’t even take the time to thoroughly think through their own thoughts or ideas, but those who do are often so focused on being right that they ignore the fact that the opposite is also true.
 
There are definitely things that can be clearly categorized as right or wrong with no gray area, although those things don’t tend to be at issue.  Many more topics, and many of them that are debated on a regular basis, are not nearly as clear cut.  For those topics, there are often merits to be found in each opposing view.  Those merits are often missed or ignored, however, and the result is a false prioritization for either side to win the argument, not for there to be a workable solution.
 
When you don’t at least consider other views, you lose the opportunity to establish common ground and, when that occurs, extremism takes over.  I think this is exactly what we are experiencing in our society today.  To me, it feels like our future is a lot less about moving forward together and a lot more about which extreme viewpoint will win out without any room for those who think otherwise.
 
Whatever our collective future holds and however the national issues are debated and ultimately decided, you can put yourself in the best possible position to make good decisions by at least attempting to understand other points of view and alternative focal points.
 
This is another example of concentrating on what you can do and can control and the good that can come out of that type of mindset.  By the way, the opposite is also true.
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

​Medium:  The Movie “Tombstone”
 
Set-Up:  Wyatt Earp and his men, including Doc Holliday who is suffering from tuberculosis, are taking on the criminals who have a stranglehold on the town of Tombstone in the 1880’s.  Wyatt has just taken down a group of them, almost singlehandedly, and his men are talking afterward.
 
Line(s):            Jack: Doc, you ought to be in bed.  What are you doing out here?
                        Doc:  Wyatt Earp is my friend.
                        Jack:  Hell, I got lots of friends.
                        Doc:  I don’t.
 
If you are fortunate to have a friend who is that loyal to you, respect him and give that friendship everything that you’ve got because a friend like this is worth a 1,000 acquaintances.  Who is your Doc Holliday?

​This post is part of Scott Arney's series, entitled "Arney's Notable Quotables"

One Size Does Not Fit All
Setting your own course of action based on making informed decisions

As an employee of a federally chartered financial institution, I am painfully aware of the “one size fits all” approach to rules and regulations. 
 
Every one of us has experienced this approach at various times in our lives.  Whether it has been as a student, a client, a patient, a family member, or as an employee, each of us has encountered a situation in which we were treated a certain way or judged by a certain set of criteria simply because the school, firm, doctor, relative, or boss used one set of rules for everyone.  In many cases, this approach is used solely because “that is the way it has always been done.”
 
While I understand that the one size fits all approach is often the easiest approach and it is typically administered under the umbrella of fairness; there can be some negative effects as well.
 
As it pertains to personal finance, for example, individuals who are not able to follow the rules of thumb of saving, borrowing, and spending can be demoralized and discouraged because their personal situations are outside what is considered “normal."
 
You have probably heard that you should save between 10 and 33 percent of your salary.  For some of us, this just may not be possible.  Life changing events, such as becoming a parent or furthering your education, have a way of changing your best-laid plans.  It is also hard to save when you are out of work or your hours have been cut back.  The better message is that you should save what you can when you can and to incorporate the importance of saving money into your financial planning, whether it is for your retirement, future events, or simply for a rainy day.
 
In order to be in the best position you can be to set your personal savings goal, you will need to do an assessment of your own finances and to fully understand your income and expenses.  You will then be able to set a realistic savings goal that will be easier to achieve and more meaningful to you because it is tailored to your personal situation.
 
There are also “one size” type rules for borrowing.  Many, such as limiting your debt to a percentage of your income, have merit, but may not apply to you at the moment that you need to make a critical decision.
 
There are legitimate reasons, in some instances, for you to borrow more heavily than what would otherwise be generally recommended.  Buying your first house might be an example of a time when you would stretch beyond what is comfortable in order to realize your goal of owning your own home.  It may be the absolute right thing to do for you and your family to increase your debt beyond recommended thresholds if you do so knowingly and with a longer term plan in place to limit whatever disruption or discomfort the effect of additional debt may have on you.
 
You should be able to make this decision without feeling stress for being outside the one size fits all parameters.  When you make any decision, it is important to understand all aspects of it, especially any applicable guidelines and the known pros and cons.  No one, however, should feel unnecessarily bound by a rule of thumb just because that is the accepted mainstream answer.
 
Debt, once incurred, has to be paid back.  If you can get comfortable with that responsibility and you can develop a plan that works for you, you should feel comfortable going forward with that debt.  Just don’t forget that situations change over time and it is always a good idea to have a back-up plan.
 
Spending habits and related decisions are also subject to all kinds of one size fits all approaches, such as “always pay off your credit card balances” and “don’t spend what you don’t have.” Sometimes, however, life takes over and you need to make a decision that will take you outside these rules.  When making a purchase or deciding between options, you owe it to yourself to properly weigh all of the alternatives and make the decision that is right for you.
 
As is the case with any plan, you feel better about it when it is your own.  Your planning needs to be built on a foundation of self-discipline and a healthy balance of responsibility and awareness, but if you have brought these elements into your decision-making, you are going to be more likely to reach a result that is better for you and more suited to you then you would have, had you simply followed the one size fits all approach.
 
There are few things more gratifying in life then the ability to make your own informed decisions and then setting your own course of action based on those decisions.  Allowing yourself to be constrained by generalities and rules of thumb can actually hinder your planning and prevent you from reaching meaningful goals.  Instead, it is important to take the time to understand what you want to achieve and then to develop a plan of action that best reflects your personal situation.
 
When you do these things, you may be surprised to find that you have taken the mystery and intimidation, often associated with making financial decisions, completely out of the equation.  Success through this process will inevitably lead to success in your other decision-making involving other aspects of your life and career.

This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.