BY JON MARZANO, AIF®, Founding Partner, Managing Principal

It is not always easy to write an article a month or more in advance of its publication and know what to write. Crafting a message that will still be very timely to keep readers’ attention always takes some thought. Current topics change from month to month, but with this being a January article for Forsyth Womanmagazine 2022, we want to make sure that we are starting your year with a timeless message.

I did not create this message; however, it may be the first time you hear it this year: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” Staying motivated and finishing all of our tasks for the day is not an easy thing to do. There are any number of things that are intentionally out there to distract us from getting all of our meaningful work done and keeping us from starting out our year on the right foot. Distractions like social media and never-ending feeds of brainless videos tend to make us laugh but keep us from being productive. Distractions like daily online shopping, which was essential during the pandemic for many people, but the hours of browsing spent now may prove to be very wasteful.

After the holidays, make it a point to spend less time every day on unproductive things and more time in the here and now. If you want to browse around for things you probably do not need for hours on end, at least do it locally at a store in your community and not online in the uber comfort of your own home. It may be time to expand your comfort zone back out. Avoid things that distract us from getting back out and living the way you want to. For many, there are still lasting effects from Covid and feelings of isolation, being unsafe, and uncertainty about your surroundings. It may take more time for some of us than others to feel comfortable again.

Try to not put off getting back out into society any longer than you need to. Life keeps passing us by one day at a time, and if we put off the things that we want to do today much longer, we may miss the opportunity altogether.

Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Independent Advisor Alliance, a registered investment advisor, Independent Advisor Alliance and Marzano Capital Group are separate entities from LPL Financial.