在沙灘上學習投資

2. 訂下我的旅行計畫且遵循計畫。此計畫包括設定我的衛星導航系統，這樣我才知道怎麼開到我的目的地。準時離開。安全地開車。而且不走不在計畫中的道路。這可能聽起來像是一個無聊的旅行，但目標是要安全且準時抵達，而不是要讓開車變得特別驚險有趣。。對於達到我的退休目標，我也會用同樣的方式。我樂意用驚險興奮的旅程去換安全且適時的到達，這意味著按照我個人的股票/債券分配計畫，且盡量多樣化。

3. 若把皮膚曬成棕色是你的目標，要有耐心。我不願冒風險，快速把皮膚曬成棕色。那太容易曬傷。我已學會用簡易的方法把皮膚曬成棕色。雜誌、研習會、網站和有線電視上的那些大師所教的曝曬方法太令人困惑。將皮膚曬成棕色和財務投資都沒有那麼複雜。若你遵循基本原則，並且不要做得太多、太快，你就不會出錯。

4. 不要在意短期的波動。我喜歡在海灘上讀書，且把椅子放在水邊。但訣竅是隨時移動我的椅子，這樣我才不會被浪打濕。海浪有它的趨勢，但我已學到人無法預測一個特別的浪頭會有什麼作為。我可能以為浪會停在三呎外，但卻被打濕了。短期來看，海浪是完全捉摸不定的；但長期而言它們是可預測的。所以我已學會根據我所知道的潮汐圖（和財務趨勢）以及過去行得通的事來計畫我的行動，而非根據海浪現在的作為。

箴言21章5節告訴我們：「殷勤籌劃的，足致豐裕；行事急躁的，都必缺乏。」殷勤，不論是為假期作準備或為一生投資，都會帶來報酬。

若你想要得到更深刻的投資洞見，到海灘旅行可能是一個明智的作法。你可能會驚訝地發現在那裡有許多功課等著你去學。

奧思汀．普萊爾有三十年的投資顧問經驗，且是「健全心智投資」新聞信和網站的創辦人。他與結褵45年的妻子蘇西住在肯塔基州的Louisville。

1. Make sure the basics are covered. I cannot simply leave for the beach any time I want. To assure we do not have to return sooner than planned, important work must be done first: Accommodations? Extra cash to cover unexpected expenses? To ensure peace of mind during my trip, these tedious preparations must be made beforehand. The same applies to financial basics – such as getting debt-free and saving for future needs – before embarking on any grand, and possibly risky investing adventure.

2. Devise my travel plan and stick with it. The plan includes setting my GPS so I know the way. Leaving on time. Driving safely. And not taking unplanned detours. This may sound like a boring trip, but the idea is not for the drive to be particularly interesting. The goal is to arrive safely and on time. I feel the same way about reaching my retirement goals. I will gladly trade an exciting journey for a safe and timely arrival, which means following my personalized stock/bond allocation plan, with plenty of diversification.

3. Be patient when a tan is your goal. I do not go for high-risk, get-tanned-quick strategies. It is too easy to get burned. I have learned to keep my tanning strategy simple. Magazines, seminars, websites, and cable television programs by tanning gurus can be confusing. Tanning – and financial investing – is not that complicated. If you follow the basics and try not to do too much too soon, you will not go wrong.

4. Ignore short-term wave patterns. I like to read on the beach, with my chair right at water’s edge. The trick is to move my chair from time to time so I do not get soaked by incoming waves. There is a trend, but I have learned you cannot predict what a particular incoming wave will do. I might believe it will stop three feet away, only to get drenched. Short-term, the waves are completely erratic, but longer-term they are predictable. So I have learned to plan my moves based on what I know about the tide charts (and financial trends) and what has worked in the past, not what the waves may be doing at the moment.

5. Do not compare myself with others. This can be hard. I am hardly an imposing figure on the beach. It would be great to look like some of the other men I see there. But, I remember my beach diet/workout strategy is tailored to who I am – an older guy trying to balance beach life with family, work, and so on.

It would be a mistake to abandon my measured, steady-as-you-go schedule and follow a more aggressive plan designed for younger men. I would only end up hurting myself.

6. Expect a few rainy days. If we are at the beach for two weeks, we can expect a summer shower or two during that time. Even if a heavy thunderstorm shows up, we do not abandon our plans and pack for home. We knew ahead of time this could happen, so we had a back-up strategy for weathering the storm – why we take the video and board games along. We are committed for the entire two weeks. We do not despair that the storm is going to lead to another Great Flood. Instead, we settle in, enjoy playing the games, and look forward to the next sunny day.

Proverbs 21:5 tells us, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” Diligence, whether in preparing for a vacation or investing for a lifetime, brings its own reward.

If you want more profound investing insights, it could be wise to make your own trip to the beach. You might be surprised at the lessons awaiting you there.

Austin Pryor has three decades of experience in advising investors, and is the founder of the Sound Mind Investing newsletter and website. Austin lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with Susie, his wife of 45 years.