The Monthly Family Meeting

One of the best ways to make sure a process works well is to set it up so you don’t have to think about it. There were certain things that I felt we needed to do at regular intervals. These varied by the specific tasks. For instance, I don’t need to review my will every month, But I do need to update and review my budget, Balance sheet and income statements every month. 

Below is what my schedule looks like.  The beauty of this is that I don’t have to think about what I need to do.  I set up the schedule at the beginning of the year, and then just carry out what the plan calls for when it calls for it.

MONTHLY	QUARTERLY	BI-YEARLY	YEARLY
Budget Balance Sheet	Quarterly Review	Emergency Planning	Tax Prep
Income Statement	Investments	Vacation Planning	Credit Check
		Mission Statement	Health Care Proxys
			Insurance Review
			Document Archive
			Year End Review

2020 : MONTHLY FAMILY MEETING

JAN 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  4Q REVIEW  |  INVESTMENTS  |  YEAR END REVIEW  |  TAX PREP
FEB 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  VACATION PLANNING  |  TAXES
MAR 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  EMERGENCY PLANNING
APR 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  1Q REVIEW  |  INVESTMENTS  |  DOCUMENT ARCHIVE
MAY 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  MISSION STATEMENT
JUN 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  RETIREMENT GOALS  |  CREDIT CHECK
JUL 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  2Q REVIEW  |  INVESTMENTS
AUG 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  VACATION PLANNING  |  HEALTH CARE PROXYS
SEP 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  EMERGENCY PLANNING  |  WILL UPDATE
OCT 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  3Q REVIEW  |  INVESTMENTS  |  INSURANCE REVIEW
NOV 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  MISSION STATEMENT |  FULL FAMILY REVIEW
DEC 19: BUDGET-BS-IS  |  RETIRMENT GOALS  |  FULL FAMILY REVIEW  |  TAX PREP

This is my schedule.  It may change slightly in the future.  Of course, your schedule may also vary depending on what you find most important.  The key point is to make sure that the schedule 

• Covers topics of importance
• Happens consistently /regularly in order to build habits
• Is planned to cover topics as the become timely (ex. Taxes Q1)
• Exists! Nike’s tagline was so effective because it almost universally applies, for most people, the key to success is to stop thinking about stuff, and “just do it!”.

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I’m not going to say we religiously hold this meeting. Depending on what’s going in our lives, we may or may not hold our meetings regularly. Often, we get into a rhythm, of wither holding the meetings regularly, or allowing them to slide. But I highly recommend holding these meetings pretty regularly. You will see a difference? Do you hold a regular meeting to discuss family finances and other important topics? What has been your experience? What’s the best thing you’ve gotten from it? The worst? How often do you hold the meeting? Love to hear from you all.