Derek Hagen, CFA, CFP®, FBS®, CFT™

“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

-Michelangelo

When clients come to us, it’s easy to assume they’re seeking help to live their best lives. We might think they arrive knowing their core values and with clear goals that align with those values. But the reality is often different.

Most clients come to us because something isn’t working, or they need help with a specific issue. While planning for a clearly defined goal can be straightforward, the real challenge lies in helping clients identify what their goals should be in the first place.

The difficulty stems from a simple truth: clients often don’t know what’s possible. And when they don’t know what’s possible, they default to what they think they’re supposed to do.

As financial professionals, our role isn’t just to create plans; it’s to help clients broaden their vision, explore what’s truly possible, and then narrow that vision down to a life that reflects their most important values.

The Trap of Mimetic Desire

When clients are unsure of their direction, they often look around for guidance. They observe what others are doing, hoping for clarity. But instead of finding purpose, they fall into the trap of mimetic desire—a tendency to mimic the aspirations and choices of others.

This behavior narrows their range of possibilities. Clients latch onto what the proverbial Joneses are doing, assuming it must be the right path.

Social media amplifies this effect. In the past, the Joneses were actual neighbors, but today they’re the curated, filtered lives of strangers online. The comparison isn’t just local—it’s global, and it’s often misleading.

We latch on to what they proverbial Joneses do. This has become more problematic than in the past because in the past, the Joneses were our actual neighbors. Now the Joneses are everyone we see on social media giving us a curated version of the life they want us to see.

drawing of possible outcomes being limited limited by what the Joneses do

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Expanding Possibilities

One of the most valuable things we can do for clients is to help them expand their range of possible outcomes. When we grow the list of what’s possible, we create space for them to envision a life they might never have considered.

By casting a wider net, we guide clients toward deeper insights about themselves. They begin to understand why they thought they wanted certain things, allowing them to get to the essence of what truly matters.

This process is about more than generating ideas—it’s about helping clients see a life that feels meaningful to them, not one based on external expectations.

drawing of helping clients grow their list of possible outcomes

From Possibilities to Vision

Expanding possibilities is only the first step. Once we’ve widened the range, we can work with clients to refine those possibilities into a clear, focused vision for the future.

This vision isn’t just about setting goals; it’s about creating alignment between what clients value and how they want to live. By doing this, we help clients move beyond the default aspirations of mimetic desire to build lives they didn’t even know were possible.

Barring from possible outcomes to meaningful vision

The greatest danger, as Michelangelo said, is not aiming too high and missing—it’s aiming too low and reaching the goal. By helping clients expand their possibilities, we empower them to aim higher, dream bigger, and build lives aligned with their deepest values.

In doing so, we help them move beyond the narrow expectations of what they think they’re supposed to do and toward a life they never imagined they could create.

Want to Learn More?

Money Quotient trains financial professionals in the True Wealth process and helps them implement the concepts into their practices. The first step is to learn about the Fundamentals of True Wealth Planning.