Once a year — always the third Monday in January — a group of my buddies and I play a little hooky from work and spend the entire day stuffing sausages and throwing subtle chirps at each other.
It’s an annual tradition.
And honestly, one of my favourite days of the year.
It is a lot of work. But over the years, we’ve gotten so efficient at it that we’re able to start the day with a proper breakfast… and end it with an even better dinner and a few well-earned glasses of vino.
And as an added bonus — the final product is pretty darn good.
What always strikes me is how smooth the day runs because of the prep.
Everyone knows their role.
The process is dialed in.
Nothing feels rushed.
And that got me thinking about how similar this is to what I see on the financial side.
One of the interesting things about clarity is what happens after you get it.
When people finally slow down and look at their situation — their mortgage, their cash flow, their goals — it doesn’t always lead to one obvious next step.
More often, it reveals options.
And that’s where things start to diverge.
Same situation. Different outcomes.
I see this all the time.
Two people can have:
• similar incomes
• similar mortgages
• similar life stages
But once they understand where they actually stand, they make very different choices.
One decides to stay passive — “things are fine for now.”
The other starts asking better questions.
Neither choice is “wrong.”
But over time, the outcomes tend to look very different.
Why timing matters more than people realize
Most people only take a close look at their mortgage when they’re forced to:
• renewal deadlines
• rate shocks
• life changes
By then, options are usually limited.
The people who tend to have the most flexibility are the ones who review things early, when nothing is urgent and no decision has to be made right away.
Clarity doesn’t force action.
It simply gives you better timing.
And timing is often the difference between reacting and choosing.
The new game rewards awareness
We don’t live in a “set it and forget it” world anymore.
Rates move.
Policies change.
Opportunities appear — and disappear.
In this environment, staying informed and intentional isn’t about being aggressive.
It’s about staying positioned.
Just like that sausage day — the outcome is better when the work is done before things get hectic.
A simple question worth asking yourself
If nothing changes in your mortgage over the next few years…
Does that actually work in your favour?
For some people, the answer is yes.
For others, it’s a quiet risk they haven’t really thought about.
Either way, understanding the answer puts you ahead of most.
Last week was about getting clear.
This week is about recognizing the options that clarity creates.
You don’t need to rush into anything.
But knowing where the forks in the road are — before you get there — makes all the difference.
Talk soon,
— Vince.
