This article is sponsored by Santa Claus (not actually, sadly)
On Fun
Truth be told, I haven’t been having the most fun when it comes to writing lately.
I’ve felt tired and unmotivated on this front and I am not ashamed to admit it.
The days have been shorter, my body just straight up feels tired and while I habitually stay abreast with what is going on in the markets multiple times each day, writing has felt more like a chore than anything.
Don’t get me wrong, I know this is temporary and I know I’ll get my groove back in no time, but these feelings of writing fatigue and brief general disinterest have me thinking about a larger, perhaps more important point.
Sure, investing one’s money in the markets is serious and should be treated as a meaningful and intentional endeavor, as this is the money you’ve been given to steward we’re talking about here and for some, the difference between a good investment or a bad one could end up being the difference between someone being able to send their child to the college of their dreams or that vacation to Hawaii them and their spouse have been fantasizing about for the last decade.
All this to say, investing is a very serious matter and hardly anyone invests to effectuate any sort of social change or promote some sort of good for society, but people primarily invest, regardless of their stage or station in life so as to benefit their financial situation and, at the end of the day, carve out a return on their investment, or in even more simple terms get more out than what they put into the stock market.
This being said, after writing hundreds upon hundreds of stock analysis articles over the last three or so years, making money has certainly remained my primary objective within my own investment portfolio(s), however, I’ve truly learned that an inquisitive, exploratory, humility-driven investor is a happy one, and learning and genuine zeal for the subject have to be at the forefront whether you are performing some light due diligence on a younger artificial intelligence (AI) company or a seasoned oil and gas operating company, diving into balance sheets or analyzing recent historic cash flows and present margins and overall relevant industry landscape trends should be fun and not a chore.
And I’ve felt like it has been a chore throughout this past week or so, and that really does make me feel sad and in the words of the late and great Kobe Bryant, dejected.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am by no means trying to compare myself to one of the greatest, most prolific athletes of all time, however, hopefully you catch my drift in my overall point in that sometimes, even when you love something with a great deal of God-given passion, it can become exhausting and the fun of it all just sort of slips away at times, and when that feeling occurs, it is usually a good idea to step back and reflect, and what better time to reflect than towards the end of 2023.
At the end of the day, garnering a return on your hard-earned, invested capital is paramount, and don’t get me wrong, investing can really be a constant internal battle and struggle, as there is so much emotion and pressure naturally interwoven within the decision making framework in the “simple” transfer from the money in your bank account to your brokerage account, as you are buying what someone else is selling (at least as is the case with traditional equity investing), disagreeing with another investor or market making party and you hope with all of your heart that you end up being right.
That sounds a little dramatic, but investing really is putting money down on your opinion, directly against someone else’s standpoint on a company and its stock.
Even though this is the case, however, fun should be at the forefront, as I personally view investing as a sort of treasure hunt, sure, referencing major, historically successful market participants and watching their moves but more importantly, ultimately devising my own perspectives and opinions with respect to their logic and even more so my own, frequently finding myself having to fend off my natural human biases (I personally maintain all too many) and revert as close to objectivity as possible, which, to me, at least, truly is fun and one of the many aspects of investing that makes it special in its own right.
When it comes down to it, if or when you lose the passion or the inherent spark you previously maintained, it is advisable to take a step back, reflect and let the game come back to you, rather than chase it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at MacroHint!
DISCLAIMER: This analysis of the aforementioned stock security is in no way to be construed, understood, or seen as formal, professional, or any other form of investment advice. We are simply expressing our opinions regarding a publicly traded entity.