Summer is a prime season for gathering with family, laughing with friends, and enjoying long, slow evenings. These moments, which we call “experience assets,” are the stories we’ll cherish and recount later. Building these memories doesn’t require grand gestures or significant spending, nor are they confined to holidays or vacations. While life’s big moments are certainly memorable, we can create equally valuable experiences from ordinary days with a bit of mindfulness and preparation.
At Wymer Brownlee, we value experiences as much as financial assets. To pass on the lessons learned, memories made, and traditions started, these experiences must be documented. As we plan for the future of our business, helping clients plan, document, and share their experience assets is a top priority. Our goal is to support you in pursing not only your financial goals but also your experiential ones. Until our vision for tracking holistic asset growth becomes a reality, here are a few ways to preserve your experiences for future generations.
Capture Daily Moments. Photograph the people, places, and activities that fill your everyday life, not just your vacations. If you share these photos on social media, add a post that captures what you were doing and feeling at that moment. Consider compiling these photos into an annual “family yearbook” to look back on together. Kids especially love seeing pictures of themselves, and you’ll be amazed at how much everyone changes in just a year.
Write It Down. Keep a handwritten journal or start an online blog for your family. Write poetry if that’s your style. The key is to document the experiences of your life. Unlike short social media posts, writing allows you to process your feelings and articulate the lessons learned. While today you might think no one would be interested in what you write, future generations could find your perspective on life events incredibly special.
Share Stories. Storytelling is one of the oldest methods for passing on information. It takes effort to incorporate this into your daily routine, but it’s worthwhile. When sitting down to dinner or traveling in the car, practice sharing stories from your day—not just the tasks completed. Set the example by sharing first, and ask open-ended questions to encourage more than just, “My day was fine.” Here’s a great resource for drawing more stories out of your kids.
Create Traditions. Some of the best family memories come from traditions that occur year after year. While most people focus on creating traditions during the holidays, you can establish them any time of the year. Sunday night dinners, family service projects, or standing date nights are opportunities to model your family’s core values and create recurring, valuable memories.
Sharing experiences—whether positive, negative, big, or small—helps you relive the joy and remember the lessons learned. We’re all building life experience assets regularly. This summer, take a little extra time to document and pass them on.
Category: Financial Service Team
