Malfunctions of My Brain

Kal Karenge! (I will do it tomorrow)
Agle Mahine Se Chalu Kartha huin! (I will start next month)
Maybe next year when I get my increments or DA!
I am thinking about it. I need more time to learn all these at first.

These are the usual affirmations people make to my following question
When are you starting your wealth creation investments?

During my last trip to Pune, I came across some amazing psychological barricades that prospective investors and portfolio holders keep as a ring around them. Most of these are my observations collected over animated conversations.

My reply was this: “If you push back your financial and personal goals, you are technically not doing that. You are pushing them forward. Today it is a molehill, tomorrow it will be an uphill task. An easy-peasy one now requires a JCB to flatten it”.

In this write-up I will try and explain how to realise this fact and avoid neglecting actionable insights.

I am going to compartmentalise our decision-making ability into 4 sections. These phases connect with all eligible individual investors.

Spark Phase
One of the greatest triggers to start wealth planning often occurs when we realise the “missed opportunity” to invest wisely.

That trigger is like 3 sides of a coin. Yes, 3 Sides. Head, Tail, and the Rim.

They represent Investing, Being Wise, and Rolling. The first two parts, the head, and the tail have lots of inertia. If you set them in motion, they can spin, roll and dance but not without the assistance of the most neglected rim.

Never let that spark in your heart hide from inaction. Share them with your partner, mentor, and advisor. Give your life a chance to roll with your dreams and aspirations. Never hesitate to take that First Step. Trust me, you can leap over this and much bigger hurdles.

Taking stock of the matters that are popping up in the head is as important as putting them on a course to redemption.

Honeymoon Phase
Dreams are your ornaments. Struggles are the luggage you carry. Your journey is always on price points, we call them NAV and CMP. An ambitious investor can relate to this much better than anyone else.

Like in real life, we encounter lots of beautiful moments when we start our earning life. Not getting carried away with momentary happiness is the key here. Sometimes this glittery ambiance can be very damaging. When we start our earnings, lifestyle changes and we push important matters to tomorrow or just press Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Remember, Tomorrow Never Comes, and Today Remains Forever. Like the very First Today when you thought to do everything tomorrow, you are still standing on the same empty threshold without moving even one block forward.

Don’t push the inevitable forward and make them, even more, harder for you. Just do it, one step at a time.

Commitment Phase
“Yes, I will invest for the next 15 years. I am seriously a long-term player”. How nice and soothing they are to everyone’s ears.

Most of the time unexpected troubles, emergencies, and some mismanagement often cause great setbacks.

Our commitment suddenly looks not honorable. We default, we hide from reality and we cut corners to meet “expectations” of others and fake societal obligations.

Almost every week I find an investor messing with his investment strategy due to this pressure.

Most of the time this happens because of the lack of replanning and reassessment of Income, Risk, and Return.

Sometimes a simple rebalancing of your lifestyle and disposable assets can lead to greater happiness. You just have to be trusting enough to take that call.

Heartbreak Phase
Height of expectations often makes the breaking point come to us faster than anticipated. Well, if there is an ounce of romanticism still flowing inside you, then this phase is more relatable. It’s a cold and bleeding one.

On average everyone goes through this in both our lives, emotionally and economically. Let me handle the latter one now.

The present situation in our investment portfolios is a classic example. Nifty 50 Index touched 18604 and now it is at 17069.

I was not euphoric at the peak, and nor am I now at a lower valuation. Everything is an opportunity.

What could have been done?

What happens to my invested amount?

Every time I listen to concerns of Investments and it’s depleting valuations, I remember about Ice cube and water.

We are all created in two states. Solid and Liquid States. A Solid-state is like an ice cube and the other is water.

When you are in the first state of affairs, you are rigid, uncompromising, cold-blooded, and unaccommodating. At times it’s necessary, but it can also become your arch enemy.

While you are in the second state, you are very accommodating and agile just like fluid. At times it’s necessary but it can also be your undoing.

The bottom line is, Stop Pushing Your Troubles Forward. Stand up and accommodate problems that are walking into your life. Take them head-on and make your road ahead smoother and jovial.

Happy Investing.