Employees need a plan for their finances, just like they need a diet and exercise plan to stay physically healthy. (Photo: iStock)

If there's one thing I've learned about my physical well-being over the years, it's this: There are no shortcuts. There is no fad diet that will make me feel better. There is no innovative workout that will magically transform my body. No, physical well-being is all about persistence, commitment and long-term planning.

Does that sound eerily similar to any other topic in the benefits world?

I've been working in the financial well-being world now for three years, and I see many parallels between that and physical well-being. Take Neal for example, one of my first participants. We worked on a lot of things, and it took a while to see them produce significant results. Recently, he has started to observe the full impact of all those little changes. His life now is hardly recognizable from where he started. He achieved his goals, not by one magic moment, but thanks to many persistent steps forward.