A small fighter jet was patrolling nearby while a massive Airbus A380 was flying across the Atlantic. The fighter pilot slowed down, flew side by side with the Airbus, and then used the communication radio to greet the old Airbus captain:
“Hello, Captain Airbus. Is long-distance flying monotonous? Take precautions! Allow me to demonstrate a rare flight display!”
After speaking, the small fighter began to roll, accelerate, break through the sonic barrier, rapidly climb, dazzling, and then dive almost to sea level at breakneck speed.
Following the spectacular display, the fighter returned to the airbus. Asked: “How are things going? Do you like it?”
The veteran airline pilot responded: “Wow! Excellent work! But now, let’s take a look at my performance!”
As a result, the fighter looked at the Airbus to see what he was doing, but nothing happened. It continued to fly straight and fast.
Five minutes later, the veteran Airbus captain addressed the fighter: “How’s the performance? Do you like it?”
In perplexity, the fighter pilot inquired, “Ah? Did I miss any performances?”
“That’s a shame,” the old Airbus captain said, smiling. “I just stood up, stretched my legs, walked to the back of the plane to use the restroom, then drank a cup of coffee and ate a cinnamon cake, can you?”
The moral of the story: When we were younger, we were obsessed with speed and performance. Calmness, on the other hand, comes with age and wisdom. This is known as S.O.S. – Slower, Older, Smarter.
Most of us made mistakes in our investing careers because we were looking for performance and momentum. However, as we mature and learn from our mistakes, we realize that investing for wealth creation is more about consistency and longevity.
We also understand that performance will always have ups and downs in the short term, but it will eventually catch up in the long run. Thus, SOS applies to investing as well: ‘SLOWER’ to avoid chasing short-term returns, ‘OLDER’ to stay invested for longer periods of time, and ‘SMARTER’ to invest consistently regardless of market conditions without following the herd. Remember that the majority of your stress is caused by how you respond, not by how life or the market is. Change your attitude. Be positive, and all the extra stress will disappear.