Our Philosophy
Values. Goals. Decisions. Actions.
We believe that money is simply a resource to help you live the life you want. At Intentional Living FP in New Braunfels, Texas, our planning framework ensures every financial decision is rooted in what matters most to you — whether you’re across town or across the country.
The Four Pillars
A Framework for Intentional Planning
Every engagement begins with this sequence. Each pillar builds on the one before it, creating a planning process that is both structured and deeply personal.
Values
Values are the underlying themes of what matters most to you. They tend to stay consistent over time, which makes them the backdrop for everything else — the direction you’re truly heading.
For example, when a family came to us on the verge of divorce, it wasn’t the numbers that turned things around — it was discovering that both spouses deeply valued family time. They’d just been expressing it in opposite ways with their money. Once they articulated that shared value, everything else clicked into place.
Read more: What Is Money? →Goals
Goals are the specific milestones attached to those values. They change over time — and that’s expected. Because we anchor in your values, you stay pointed in the right direction even as the goals shift.
We see this often: someone says they want to retire at 63 — not because 63 means something to them, but because the average person retires at 65 and they figure a couple years early sounds good. That’s not a real goal. A real goal is anchored in something you actually care about. And it’s okay for goals to change — that’s not failure, it’s growth.
Read more: What Is Money? →Decisions
Everything in life has tradeoffs and opportunity costs — and even inaction is a decision for the status quo. We help you see the decisions ahead and weigh those tradeoffs, so your choices are intentional rather than accidental.
One family wanted to homestead — buy some acreage, raise chickens and goats. They also wanted to spend summers in the mountains. Both great goals. But you can’t leave for Colorado in June if the goats need feeding in Texas. Understanding the value behind each goal made the trade-off clear — and the decision easy.
Read more: Making Decisions →Actions
When the first three are done well, action becomes simple — not always easy, but simple. We can be direct, efficient, and intentional, instead of wasting time, energy, and money on moves that don’t fit.
If you’ve done the work on values, goals, and decisions, action becomes the simple part. Not always easy — but clear. You’re not second-guessing. You’re not paralyzed. You move with conviction because you already know why it matters.
Read more: Taking Action →Your Statement of Financial Purpose
One Sentence That Changes Everything
After working through the values and goals conversation, every client creates a Statement of Financial Purpose — a single sentence that captures why financial independence matters to them. It follows a simple format:
“I desire financial independence so that _______________.”
That sentence becomes the filter for every financial decision that follows. Should you make this purchase? Take this job? Invest in this opportunity? If it aligns with your statement of financial purpose, move forward with confidence. If it doesn't, you either say no — or you revisit the statement because something in your life has genuinely shifted. It's accountability without rigidity. A compass, not a cage.
Go Deeper
Explore These Ideas Further
Through our articles and podcast.
What Is Money?
Why defining money changes everything about your financial plan.
Read more →Making Decisions
How cognitive biases sabotage your choices — and how to decide better.
Read more →Taking Action
How to close the gap between knowing what matters and actually doing something about it.
Read more →The Intentional Living Podcast
Listen to Jim and Cade unpack money, values, and intentional living every episode.
Read more →Let's Build a Plan Around Your Life
The best time to start living intentionally is now. Schedule a complimentary conversation to explore how values-driven planning can transform your financial future.