A client recent celebrated a landmark 65th birthday so we spent a few minutes reflecting on what ‘might have been’. 65 was important as that was his ‘normal retirement age’ – the time when he should have stopped work. Caught by the downturn in the oil sector five years ago when we first started working together he was focused on getting back in the saddle and finding another job – any job!

As we worked through different aspects of his life it rapidly became he had a problem, but not the one he thought he had! Taking a realistic view of his finances (income, expenditure and savings) it was clear that lack of money was not the problem, he was simply not appreciating what was already there. This revelation opened many door, not just for him but for the wider family. He was able to spend time with the older generation and offer support when it was needed. When his children were ready to fly the nest he was able to help with both cash and counsel.

Today the benefits of our coaching sessions have radiated out to the wider family. Most of the older generation are gone, but their finial decline was spent surrounded by family who had time to spend with them. Some siblings are starting to learning the lesson (while others have yet to see the light), and the next generation have a markedly different view of their future prospects.

As we sit and chat it is clear that here is one client who is grateful that he has not spent the last few years staring out of an office window dreaming about what he would do in retirement – instead he’s been doing it!