By Kristina Kuprina, Founder & CEO, Sequoia Wealth Advisors.

I had a long-term client who dreamed of buying his own boat and fishing the California coast. We built a plan. He saved, invested, and did well. Eventually, he made enough to buy the fishing boat, docked it in the local harbor, and was totally content. Over those first months, he’d send me photos of fish he’d caught and the beautiful ocean vistas. He was so happy with the boat, and what we’d accomplished to achieve it, I was afraid he might name it after me.

A few weeks later, he took his boat across the bay to another harbor. Once he’d tied off and took a look around, it occurred to him he was aboard the smallest boat in the marina. Dismayed, he fired off a heartbreaking message to me. “Maybe we should have bought a bigger boat.”

His message deeply impacted me. The experience of buying the boat had been wildly gratifying until the moment he compared his boat to others’ boats. This simple shift in perspective seemed to undermine the entire process of saving and investing for the big-ticket dream item.

Comparing ourselves to others is a common human foible, but like all foibles, utterly useless and potentially damaging. That’s why it’s so vital to maintain your north star. As life changes and kaleidoscopes, your highest intention is your immoveable navigation. Know precisely what’s valuable. Don’t get distracted or second guess yourself. Trust your north star.

Kristina Kuprina (CA Insurance Lic. #0F11184) is a Registered Representative with, and securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC. Financial Planning may be offered through Sequoia Wealth Advisors & Investment Management Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.