Last July, I wrote the blog, “Actively Losing,” which compared Crossfit to investing without much knowledge or the wrong kind of help. It’s not that the Crossfit program is bad, it’s whether you use good technique, the right amount of weight and follow the coaching of an expert. The same goes for investing; while the act of investing itself is not bad, doing so in an uninformed way without the appropriate expertise can have negative results.

For the past few years, I kept telling myself I was going to develop and implement an exercise routine and healthy eating program to lose weight and get back in shape. The problem was that I didn’t have the time, accountability, and expertise to develop a well-rounded program. Finally, on January 2nd of this year, I set out to purchase a new suit and found that I’d exceeded a waistline I never thought I would.

I recalled an e-mail I received in response to my blog last July from someone who is highly involved in Crossfit locally. They had challenged my assertions about Crossfit and encouraged me to try the program, so on January 3rd, that’s exactly what I did. I’ve been at it for five months now and the results have been fantastic. I’m stronger and healthier than I’ve been in ten years. The reason is that I’m paying experts (coaches with degrees in Health and Human Performance and Exercise Science) to develop workout programs, coach my technique, and provide advice on nutrition that produces positive results.

Crossfit certainly isn’t the cheapest gym and, at first, parting with the dollars was a real struggle, but after a couple of weeks I realized that paying for, and delegating to, experts in this area of my life was worth it, given all the benefits I was experiencing.

Foster Group’s role as advisors is similar to the coaches I work with at Crossfit. We do for our clients’ financial health what trainers do for their physical health – both roles can affect a person’s mental health for the better. Hiring experts to create a financial plan, manage investments wisely, and provide accountability should provide results that give people peace of mind and eliminate costly mistakes. There are a few areas of life that, if ignored for too long, can have unfortunate, yet avoidable, results. Consider the progress that might occur if you are willing to spend some resources to hire an expert in these areas. Be healthy….physically and financially!