STRATEGY: Only A Loser Thinks It Will Be Easy

Success in the market comes from staying invested over time, allowing compounding to work rather than seeking shortcuts.

Executive Summary

It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be crooked. It’s going to cause you endless frustration.

So, you just have to make one decision: are you going to let the pain of investing stop you? Or are you going to get a reward for the pain you go through?

The market will humble everyone at some point. It’s all a question of whether you have put your house in order to overcome the storm.

I bring to light some reasons why investors get shaken out of their positions, and end with practical aspects to help you navigate this market.

The Path to Profit is Anything But Easy

Only a loser thinks this is going to be easy.

Investing is never a straight line—it’s setback after setback after setback after setback. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, the market humbles you again. Welcome to the pain.

This is the nature of investing. You’ve got to make peace with this as soon as possible.

As such, my first piece of advice is that you should only invest what you can afford to lose. Common sense, right? Yes, because this is common sense!

Remind yourself that even in the worst-case scenario, you’ll be fine. It’s all going to be OK, and even the best of the best investors embrace setbacks and still go on to large returns.

In fact, to have any success in this game, you have to be willing to adapt all the time.

Time is the Ultimate Strategy

The winners aren’t the ones who never fall; they’re the ones who refuse to stay down.

And that same mindset applies to time in the market. No shortcuts, no little tricks, no hacks, no bs, will ever come close to what time itself delivers to your portfolio. The longer you stay invested, the more the power of compounding does the heavy lifting.

The market rewards endurance—those who can stomach the noise and let time do what time does best: turn your investments into positive returns.

Have to Be: Mentally Prepared to Survive

You must be mentally prepared to return tomorrow. That’s the difference between those who end the year winners and those who burn out.

I’ve seen a ton of reasons for investors to be shaken out from their positions.

And I continue to see more and more reasons for justification all the time. And you too, will be shaken and tested in ways you can’t imagine. It will test your patience, it will test your conviction in the darkest periods. But you have to position yourself mentally to be willing to show up tomorrow.

Your capital can only grow, if you are willing to position your mind to return tomorrow.

Prices will swing violently and headlines will scream panic. I see this all the time, those headlines that sell fear, to drive engagement.

Look, you are just going to have to accept that drawdowns are going to happen. It sucks, but it’s the truth. It’s what you do when you are there that is the separator.

Application of These Lessons

To survive, you need to be mentally fortified before the storm hits. You have to position your mind into a box that says, I have what it takes to keep my s**t together, because I’ve only invested what I can afford to lose in the short term.

It’s not that anyone can afford to lose anything. Every drawdown is painful. But it’s the understanding that in the majority of cases, sell-offs are temporary and will, with time stabilize and improve.

The Bottom Line

Here’s my punchline. The market doesn’t care about your feelings.

It’s going to test you and chew you up. Most investors won’t make it back after a dramatic sell-off. They’ll fold when it hurts.

But if you can position your mind to survive, by investing only what you don’t need for 12 months, you can return tomorrow.

You’ll earn what the quitters never will. This game doesn’t reward perfection; it rewards endurance. Stay in the fight long enough, and time will make you look like a genius.