NFA Finance

For me, right now, it’s being able to think for yourself.

We have computers that can answer questions in seconds. We have a phone full of people telling us what to buy, what to believe, how to live, and what success is supposed to look like. You can spend an entire day consuming other people’s opinions without taking five minutes to figure out your own.

That’s what concerns me. How often are we stopping to ask, “Does this actually make sense?”

I use AI. I see the value in it. It helps me organize ideas, ask better questions, and get things done. But I still need to question what comes back. An answer can sound convincing and still be wrong. It can also be a perfectly reasonable answer that doesn’t fit my life.

I’m the one who has to live with the decision.

That goes for advice from a computer, a friend, a businessperson, or anybody else. I’ll listen. I’ll consider it. But I want to understand the reasoning before I make it my own.

After more than 25 years in the car business, I’ve learned to ask questions. When somebody tells you a vehicle needs a part, you want to know what led them to that conclusion. What did they check? What did they find? You can spend a lot of money accepting the first explanation you hear.

Life works that way, too. Before you commit your money, your time, or your future, slow down enough to understand what you’re doing.

And following the herd has been around a lot longer than AI.

People buy things because everybody else is buying them. They chase a version of success they’ve never stopped to define. They repeat an opinion so many times that eventually it feels like their own, even though they couldn’t explain how they arrived at it.

I think one of the best questions you can ask yourself is: “Do I actually want this, or have I just been told I should?”

That question can change how you spend your money. It can change the work you choose. It can change the life you’re building.

Thinking for yourself also means being willing to learn. If someone knows more than I do, I want to hear them out. If there’s evidence that I’m wrong, I need to look at it. Digging my heels in just to protect my ego doesn’t make me independent. It keeps me stuck.

I’ve made mistakes. I’ve made decisions I would handle differently today. Owning that is part of the process. You look at what happened, learn something, and make your next decision with a little more understanding.

Sometimes you’ll agree with the crowd. Sometimes you’ll go a completely different direction. What matters is that you can explain why.

For me, practicing this skill starts with a pause. Before I accept an answer, share an opinion, or make a commitment, I can ask a few questions. How do I know this? What am I missing? Does it fit what I want for my life?

We’ve got incredible tools available to us. I plan to keep using them. I also plan to keep using my own judgment.

Because at the end of the day, it’s my life. My decisions. My responsibility.

Think for yourself. You’re the one who has to live with the results.

— Nicholas Francis
Modern Day Dealer | NFAFinance.com