Sports has been in the limelight in recent months. By taking cues from elite athletes in their training programmes, investors could consider adopting a perseverant and consistent approach when they map out their long-term investing strategy1.
A Hong Kong fencing medalist was reported2 to have said that being a champion is not just a dream, but one has to work hard and not give up. This could be likened to keeping your financial goals in-check, investing regularly and staying invested. [Read more: 5 FAQs on long-term investing: starting out and 5 FAQs on long-term investing: staying invested]
Perseverance and consistency
Investors, based on their investment objectives and risk appetite, could focus on regular monthly investing1 like athletes would for their day-to-day trainings as they prepare for their competitions. Athletes generally train regularly over the long term, and not just aggressively over a short period.
Athletes could also face ups and downs in their athletic careers. Likewise for investing, where markets can always have a bad day, week, month or even year. Market volatility is normal, and investing can involve significant drawdowns from time to time. Investors should be aware of the volatility they can handle based on their objectives and risk appetite, but troubled times aren’t a sign to sell everything.