Plan to Win

I spent last weekend bicycle racing, my favorite activity! It was the Master State Championship, so considered a “big race” to some and a stepping stone to the National Championships for others. Thinking about how racers deal with “big races” whether it’s the local weekend race or the World Championship, I realized how similar it is to investing and financial planning.

Everyone approaches both with wishful thoughts of “making it big”. Some are instantly pulled back by fear. Fear and doubt can make even the fastest person a loser. Often, fear prevents a racer from even showing up to the race, which is a guaranteed way to not win. Life is risky. That has to be accepted first. Then you can start looking at ways to limit failure and maximize gains.

Having a plan is a great way to start. But a plan that is ignored will get you nowhere. In bike racing, many people hire a coach to help make and execute a plan. I can’t tell you how many great racers will start to change their plan or equipment as they get closer to the “big race”. Change at the last minute is usually a great way to fail at meeting your goals.

Why do they do it? Fear. They think that if they work harder, longer, or have better equipment, that would guarantee a win. It usually leads to overtraining, poor recovery, bad form, and discomfort in the big race. If they worked their plan that is making them stronger and faster, they would actually be enhancing their chance of success far more. Coaches can be great at helping you stay focused on the plan, if you listen to them.

So how does this relate to investing? Many times people don’t make a plan because they’re afraid to think about that big college bill or if they’ll have enough money to live the way they’d like in retirement. Face it head on with a plan outlining how you’re going to make it happen. If you can’t do everything you want, it’s best to know that up front and get the most you can. Without a plan you are likely to miss out on goals that you could have achieved if you had a plan.

People also often invest emotionally. You want to buy low and sell high to be successful. While people know this intellectually, they often do just the opposite. They get excited as an investment price or the stock market goes up. As the prices go down people get scared and want to get out of the scary situation. Before you consider making a change to your investments first stop and think through whether you are making decisions based on emotions or information.

A solid plan will help you figure out where you are going and how you will get there. A financial advisor can help you build a solid plan and help you relax so you can maximize your plan with periodic reviews. Just like a training schedule, the plan is going to be different during different seasons (diversification targets will need to be updated occasionally). Your advisor can help you adapt your plan for the seasons as well as to address your personal goals in a thoughtful way. With or without an advisor, make a plan. Remember “not showing up” is a guaranteed way to not win. The more you follow and trust your plan, the more likely you are to win.

If you’d like articles like this delivered to your inbox, scroll down to subscribe.