When Everything You Planned For Gets Destroyed

And why your financial plan needs to be built for the unexpected

We all make plans. We organize our lives around them. We feel secure when everything is mapped out, predictable, and under control.

Then life happens.

I learned this lesson the hard way during my junior year at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. I was 20 years old, had just transferred schools, pledged a fraternity, and was finally settling into my new routine. Everything felt stable and predictable.

Then an F4 tornado changed everything in minutes.

That February evening started like any other unofficial day off. Tornado sirens had been going off all day, but nobody took them seriously anymore. Classes were canceled, and everyone was out on the quad playing cornhole and listening to music. My friend Tiny (6'6", 280 lbs) and I were admiring the evening sky when we noticed a strange shape in the distance.

"Gosh, it would suck if that was the tornado," Tiny said.

Reality set in fast. We screamed at everyone to get inside as the shape grew larger and more menacing. We all packed into the dorm bathrooms like sardines, someone threw a mattress over our heads, and I found myself wrapped around a toilet bowl with one arm and Tiny's thigh with the other as the sound of a freight train roared overhead.

When it was over, the level above us was gone. Cars were flipped upside down across the lawn. The only thing left of the outer wall where we'd taken cover was the porcelain from the shower tub. Everything I owned was buried under glass and rubble—a total loss.

Here I was, 20 years old, car was totaled, no clothes, parents 5,000 miles away in Israel. Around 3am, my brother and I were finally leaving campus. When my brother called my dad in Israel to break the news, he said, "Dad, the bad news is Nathan lost everything. The good news is we got Julio Jones!" Being big Alabama fans, my brother thought that was the appropriate time to let us know that Julio had committed to Alabama, trying to lighten the mood. Even in crisis, that's still how our family remembers that night.

The Students Who Recovered Fastest

In the aftermath, something interesting happened. While we were all dealing with the same disaster, some students bounced back much faster than others.

No one was really prepared for this but, It was the ones who could pivot and adapt when circumstances changed. They had support systems. They had learned to be flexible when life threw them curveballs.

The students who struggled the most were those who couldn’t move past the losses, couldn’t figure out how to take the next steps.

The "Silver Bullet" Trap in Financial Planning

This experience shaped how I think about financial planning today. Too many people approach their finances the same way I approached college—looking for that one perfect plan, that "silver bullet" investment that will solve everything.

They want to find the perfect stock, the perfect fund, the perfect strategy and then set it and forget it. But markets don't work that way. Life doesn't work that way.

Just like that tornado taught me about the illusion of permanence, market volatility teaches us about the illusion of the perfect investment. There is no silver bullet.

The investors who thrive aren't the ones chasing the latest hot stock or trying to time the market perfectly. They're the ones who build flexibility and adaptability into their approach.

What Actually Works: The Three Pillars of Flexible Financial Planning

1. Independent, Fiduciary Guidance

When the tornado hit, the people who helped me most weren't the ones with the most resources—they were the ones who had my best interests at heart and the flexibility to adapt their help to my specific situation. I ended up sleeping on Tiny’s parent’s couch for a month, I was able to get a job waiting tables.

Your financial advisor should work the same way. A truly independent, fiduciary advisor isn't locked into selling you specific products or pushing you toward predetermined solutions. They have the flexibility to offer what's in your best interest, not what generates the highest commission.

2. Continuous Monitoring and Communication

Your financial plan needs ongoing attention. Markets change. Your life changes. Your goals evolve. I use tools that monitor accounts daily and send updates to both me and my clients about performance. When a strategy starts underperforming based on your individual goals, we know immediately and can adjust.

3. Education Through Life Changes

The tornado taught me that knowledge is more valuable than possessions. The students who recovered fastest weren't just getting help—they were learning how to handle uncertainty and build resilience.

Your financial advisor should be educating you through your personal changes, not just managing your money. When you understand the "why" behind your financial decisions, you're better equipped to handle whatever life throws at you.

Building Your Flexible Framework

Whether we're talking about natural disasters or market volatility, the principle is the same: build for adaptability, not perfection.

Your financial plan should be able to handle:

• Career changes and income fluctuations

• Market volatility and economic uncertainty

• Life events like marriage, children, or health issues

• Changes in your risk tolerance as you age

  
  

This doesn't mean constantly changing your strategy. It means building a foundation that can evolve without requiring you to start over every time life throws you a curveball.

Just like those students who had support systems and contingency plans, you need a financial strategy that includes:

• Diversified investment approaches that can weather different market conditions

• Regular monitoring and adjustment as your situation changes

• Clear communication about what's happening and why

• Education that empowers you to make informed decisions

  
  

The Real Security

Three months after the tornado, FEMA finally reimbursed us for our losses. My brother joked that I was experiencing a "windfall" from all the help pouring in (and he wasn’t wrong). The lesson I learned is that true security comes from flexibility, not from trying to control the uncontrollable.

The students who recovered fastest weren't the ones who never faced adversity—they were the ones who had systems and relationships that could help them navigate uncertainty.

Your financial plan should give you the same confidence. Not because it's perfect, but because it's designed to weather whatever storms come your way.

Ready to build more flexibility into your financial plan? Let's talk about your specific situation and create a strategy that can adapt as your life changes. The goal isn't to find the perfect investment—it's to build a plan that works no matter what life throws your way.

Schedule a conversation today to discuss how independent, fiduciary guidance with continuous monitoring can help you build real financial security.