Four Dreams and Financial Planning

For nearly twenty-five years, I've worked as a financial planner. Early in my career, I focused on what I was trained to focus on: rates of return, asset allocation, tax efficiency, risk management.

These matter. But they're not what matters most.

The clients who slept best at night, who felt most satisfied with their financial lives, who experienced genuine fulfillment—they weren't necessarily the ones with the biggest portfolios. They were the ones whose money aligned with their purpose.

This realization led me to integrate the Four Dreams framework into financial planning: 1) Becoming Better, 2) Making the World Better, 3) Leaving a Legacy, and 4) Having Fun

Becoming Better and Your Finances

Becoming Better means investing in your own growth and development. Financially, this might mean:

• Budgeting for education—courses, books, conferences, coaching

• Creating space for career transitions or sabbaticals that enable learning

• Investing in health and wellness that supports long-term vitality

• Building financial margin that allows time for reflection and growth rather than constant pressure

Ask yourself: "Is my financial plan enabling or preventing my personal growth?"

Making the World Better and Your Finances

Traditional financial planning focuses on accumulation. Four Dreams financial planning asks: "What am I accumulating for?"

Making the World Better means deploying resources in service of contribution:

• Systematic, strategic charitable giving aligned with causes that break your heart

• Impact investing that generates both returns and positive social/environmental outcomes

• Creating donor-advised funds or private foundations for sustained giving

• Supporting social enterprises and B-corporations

• Volunteering time (which has opportunity cost that should be valued)

Ask yourself: "What percentage of my resources am I deploying for purposes beyond my own comfort?"

Leaving Legacy and Your Finances

This is where 200-year thinking transforms financial planning. Legacy planning isn't just estate planning—it's about what you're creating that will outlast you.

Financial considerations include:

• Establishing trusts or family foundations with multi-generational purpose

• Creating family governance structures (family councils, mission statements)

• Funding educational opportunities for descendants

• Protecting family stories, values, and wisdom (not just wealth)

• Teaching financial literacy and stewardship to the next generation

• Thinking beyond "how do I pass wealth to my children?" to "how do I ensure seven generations benefit from our values?"

Having Fun and Your Finances

Financial planning often emphasizes sacrifice and delayed gratification. But a plan that's all restriction and no joy is unsustainable.

Having Fun means:

• Budgeting for experiences, adventures, and celebration

• Creating "joy accounts" specifically for non-practical purposes

• Planning for sabbaticals or adventure years

• Investing in hobbies and passions

• Recognizing that money spent on joy isn't "wasted"—it's invested in life quality

The Integration

The Four Dreams framework doesn't replace sound financial planning—it infuses it with purpose. Your rate of return matters less if your resources are deployed meaninglessly. Your asset allocation is technical optimization of a deeper question: "What life am I building with these resources?"

Financial planning without the Four Dreams is optimization without direction. The Four

Dreams without financial planning is aspiration without means.

Together, they create financial life planning worthy of the name.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please email me here.