Why commit to long term investing?

Last Updated on February 25, 2020

Think of investing as a marathon, and not a short 100-400 m race!

A marathon, where, if you start early in life you can even start slow, with a small amount and still win big. A marathon, where, it’s never too late to start, because you are not competing with anyone. And, anyone who runs it for a reasonably long time is setting himself/herself up to win—do much better than not running it. You don’t necessarily have to complete it to be a winner.

Successful long term investors are like marathoners: well-prepared, resilient, disciplined and focused. Some good practices of successful marathon runner relevant to long term investment include,

Set goals
Train yourself: Start by running 2-3 kms/day, then increase slowly. Start investing with small amounts, and slowly increase as you learn
Staying the course: Hang on, don’t quit! Stay invested through market ups and downs though make appropriate changes in your portfolio
Maintain right pace: Not too fast or too slow. Keep investing every month
Review and Re-balance: Check if you are running as per the plan. Assess how are you progressing to meet your financial goals

The empowering belief in investing is that ‘Success happens by growing your Investable Surplus at a compounded rate that is well above inflation, and doing this for as a long time as you have.’ It’s giving the best chance for your money to grow without taking risks that could destroy your capital. So, coupled with having very compelling goals, thinking of investing as a marathon, and not a sprint, will ensure you are set up for success.

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Read the next article to know: ‘What’s your Investable Surplus & how to invest it smartly?’

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