Author: Kim Potgieter

“Being able to adapt to change will serve me well in the year ahead.” A very traumatic personal experience recently reminded me of the sage words of a Chinese proverb:  When the winds of change blow, some people build walls … and others build windmills.  I am making choices that catch that wind of adversity and turn it to advantage. It is said that that the only certainty is death and taxes.  I would like to add ‘change’ to that list. As a driver personality, I tend to set challenging goals and have even higher expectations of how I should live life and what that...

“I was delighted to be invited to share the platform with CEO of The Refirement Network, Lynda Smith, at the Congress,” says Kim Potgieter, Certified Financial Planner and Director at Chartered Wealth Solutions.  “I am grateful for every opportunity to share the message that we share with our clients during our Life Planning Meetings: retirement does not have to signal an end; it can be the beginning of a whole new life, if you are prepared to shift your perspective – retiring to something rather than from it.” Of course, living a full life in retirement has much to do with...

At his recent Chartered presentation, Dr Wayne Derman made reference to the Blue Zones.  These are geographical areas in the world where people have been found to live longer – and better! These five areas are:  Sardinia, Italy; the islands of Okinawa, Japan; Loma LInda, California; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece. More significant than where they are, is what the residents of these regions have in common, factors that contribute to longevity and quality of life. These factors include: human interactions – putting family above other concernsa...

This year started with great excitement at Chartered Wealth and for me personally.  The launch of my book is a dream come true.  After attending the Walt Disney leadership course, I took the words of this remarkable leader and visionary literally:  All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. I am the first to acknowledge that I am certainly not a traditional author. Following some years conducting Life Planning meetings, however, there was something at my core that demanded that this book be written. Despite this compulsion, Retiremeant took more than...

Prior to tearing my hamstring, leg raises hardly broke a sweat on my brow; I was a committed and regular participant at the gym.  Now, as part of my rehabilitation, I have to be equally committed – but now it is to attending biokineticist sessions every week.  Yes, there is physical exertion, but it is nothing compared to the mental discipline I need to re-engage my body in healing and normal activity.  I am being challenged all the time.  Basic exercises require all my effort. What has been the lesson for me?  To be humble, and place myself in other’s...