Stop Watching, Start Growing

This morning, I was preparing for a class I'm teaching tomorrow, and I had to pull some historical data on the S&P 500. What I found surprised even me!

(I spend more time than the average person pulling data from the S&P)

- The index was up 15.8% in 2020
- It was up a whopping 26.6% in 2021
- Down 19.6% in 2022
- Then it rebounded with a 24% gain in 2023
- And up another 10% in 2024

But here's the thing, I never once noticed the market was down by 20% in 2022.

Because I've been on a slow, steady buying campaign of index funds since I started working 650 years ago, I hardly ever look at the market. So, when it was down by 20%, it never occurred to me to adjust my contributions, I never panicked, and I never tried to "pivot" into a different asset class.

Because I'm automated, I skipped the emotional stress of market watching entirely. I was able to focus on the more important things going on in 2022 like: the Corn Kid, the legendary Super Bowl Halftime Show, Surface Pressure on repeat for 365 days, and, of course, The Queen's Jubilee (with Paddington Bear).

The best strategy? Close your eyes, stick to your plan, and keep investing.

Here's the magic of starting early and staying consistent: a few years of 20%-plus returns can completely transform your financial future. If you're in the early stages of investing, these high-growth years compound over time to build long-term wealth. By tuning out the daily noise and sticking with a simple, automated strategy, you position yourself to reap the long-term rewards of market growth.

The markets will rise and fall, but if you stop watching and start growing, the odds are in your favor.

The simplest way to automate? Find a robo advisor.