“Investing is simple; it’s our behaviour as humans that makes it complicated.”
In today’s hyper-connected world, the concept of personal investing has been made unnecessarily complicated. Every day, we are bombarded with news, tips, opinions, and predictions, from WhatsApp forwards to social media “experts.” This information overload creates more noise than clarity, leaving investors confused about where to begin and what to trust
But here’s the truth: investing is not rocket science. It is more like planting a tree. You prepare the soil (set your goals), plant the seed (start investing), water it regularly (stay consistent), and give it time. If you keep digging it up every few months to check the roots, the tree will never have a chance to grow. Unfortunately, many of us do exactly the same, pulling money in and out, chasing hot tips, and expecting instant results.
Another big challenge is expectations. Many people want the market to deliver extraordinary returns every year. When it doesn’t, they get frustrated and switch strategies. The problem is not the market, it is our impatience. Wealth creation through equity markets takes time, often 7, 10, 15 or even longer years. This is because compounding needs time to work its magic.
Case Study 1: The Patient Investor
Ravi, a 32-year-old software engineer, started a SIP of ₹20,000 per month in 2015 in a diversified equity mutual fund. He stayed invested despite market corrections in 2018 and the COVID crash in 2020. By 2025, his corpus had grown to nearly ₹48 lakhs, a XIRR of ~14%. His secret? Doing nothing. He simply let compounding work its magic.
Case Study 2: The Restless Investor
Meera, 35, invested almost the same amount as Ravi but kept chasing “hot” funds and frequently switched based on market news and social media tips. Over the same 10-year period, her actual return was just ~9% XIRR, costing her nearly ₹12 lakhs of potential wealth.
The difference between Ravi and Meera was not luck or fund selection; it was their behaviour and mindset.
Successful investors have three traits in common:
🔑 Clarity about their goals
⏳ Patience to allow compounding to do its magic
🛑 Discipline to stay invested through market cycle
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed by financial chatter, take a step back. Ask yourself, am I growing a tree, or am I uprooting it every few months?
Most of the time, the right thing to do is to stay the course and let your money work for you.
That’s the approach I follow for myself and my investors, and it’s working out great for us.
You can call me at 7341137190/9968074002 or send an email to [email protected].
If you need to discuss more about this, book a no-charge consultation with me at this link. (https://calendly.com/rakeshgoyal). Confidentiality is assured.