The Longer You Wait, The More You Fall Behind
Before I started investing, I thought I had to find the "perfect" investment.
The perfect stock, the perfect ETF, or the perfect moment to jump in...
But once you step into the investing world, you’ll realize just how many “perfect” options exist.
There are over 12,000 ETFs globally. Thousands of stocks and dozens of strategies.
It’s endless and that’s exactly why a lot of people get stuck…
They convince themselves they’re “doing research” but really they’re just stalling.
They’re chasing certainty and trying to outthink risk.
But you can’t logic your way out of risk.
At some point, you’ve got to just jump in and start.
Every week you spend in “information gathering” mode is a week you’re not building confidence through action.
And it’s a week you’re missing out on the thing that actually grows wealth: time IN the market.
Take a minute to ask yourself this whenever you find yourself spiraling down the endless information vortex:
→ Is the content I’m consuming making me feel more confident to invest?
→ Or is it just making me second-guess everything and stay stuck on the sidelines?
If it’s the second one... that’s not education. That’s fear in disguise.
Make Investing a Habit. Just Like Paying Bills Is.
There’s nothing wrong with picking individual stocks.
Or exploring more advanced strategies.
But if you don’t have a foundation built first, you’re setting yourself up to eventually get desperate if the riskier plays don’t go your way…
That’s how people end up quitting, panic selling at the bottom, or approaching the stock market like a casino rather than a wealth-building machine.
Your foundation should be built on long-term strategies that create real momentum.
Once that’s in place? Then sure… go explore new strategies with a smaller portion of your portfolio.
For me, the real shift happened the day I automated my investing.
Every time I got paid, a portion went straight into my long-term investments.
All without me thinking about it. That one change destroyed all the second-guessing.
Because the minute you force yourself to be the decision maker every time you invest, you invite fear, greed, and hesitation to hijack your plan.
You already send money to everyone else (your landlord, your internet provider, your bank)
Why not set things up so you're paying your future self too?
The Plan You Can Stick With > The Plan That Sounds Smart on Paper
Most people don’t actually have a plan.
They think they do.
But what they really have is a set of reactions.
Markets go up? They buy because CNBC says we’re on a win streak.
Markets go down? They sell because everyone’s suddenly panicking about interest rates, tariffs, inflation, or whatever the next fear is.
That’s not a plan... That’s emotional investing.
And it’s the reason most people end up buying high, selling low, and wondering why the market “doesn’t work” for them…
The more you try to micromanage your investments based on headlines, the more you fall into the same trap the majority of people do: chasing certainty (which doesn’t exist in the markets) and underperforming in the process.
Ironically, the best times to invest are usually when it feels like the worst time.
When news articles are trashing the market and the banks are issuing recession doom predictions.
Those are usually the moments when markets are handing out the best long-term opportunities.
But trying to wait and predict those moments is still a guessing game…
That’s why your real edge as an investor doesn’t come from timing, it comes from being consistent.
From having a plan you actually follow, no matter what the headlines say.
If you’re investing for the next 15+ years, then your greatest advantage is time.
The stock market has survived world wars, political chaos, inflation, and pandemics... It’s always adapted and pushed to new all-time highs.
So the question becomes:
Do you want to be the person constantly reacting to headlines?
Or do you want to be the one quietly building wealth while everyone else is panicking?
Because the people who win long-term are the ones who stick to the simplest plan through every cycle.
Just check the Forbes billionaire list... How many day traders do you see there?
The Compound Effect Won’t Wait for You
The most powerful wealth builder in the stock market is compound interest.
Compound interest = your profits making more profits.
For example, if you invest $400 per month at an 8% return, it would take about 7 years to reach $50k.
Then take about another 4.5 years to hit $100k.
Then about another 3.5 years to hit $150k.
Compound interest is such a beautiful thing. But it takes time to see its true power and only works if you stay invested long enough to let the math work its magic.
That’s where most people mess it up…
They hop in and out, pause investing when the market drops, or sell when things feel uncertain and wait for “better timing.”
But compounding doesn’t reward that… It rewards consistency.
Here’s something to think about: If you missed just 10 of the best market days over the last 20 years, your returns would’ve been cut in half.
And the craziest part? Those “best days” almost always show up when fear and uncertainty is still high.
Not when it’s comfortable to invest.
In early April, we had one of the strongest market days in years… up nearly 7% in a single session.
If you were on the sidelines waiting for things to “calm down” you missed it. And missing multiple “best days” will destroy your portfolio's compounding potential.
Want to see how compound growth plays out over time? Check out my free compound interest guide. It’s helped thousands understand the main growth force in the stock market.
Don’t Confuse Information with Implementation
We’re lucky to live in a time where all the information we need is right at our fingertips.
You can Google any strategy and watch hours of YouTube videos to learn new skills.
But information alone won’t build wealth.
Knowing what to do isn’t the problem. It’s actually doing it.
If you’ve been stuck in research mode or second-guessing every market move… Then it’s time to build a plan you can actually stick to ASAP.
Inside Money Mastery, I walk you through the exact system I use to automate my investing and stay consistent through every market cycle.
If you’re serious about turning knowledge into consistent action, Money Mastery is the next step.
