It’s staying the course.
We live in a world of noise. TikTok is full of “millionaire traders” in rented Lamborghinis. Your coworker just bought a condo with crypto profits. Your cousin’s friend is suddenly flipping AI stocks. And meanwhile, you’re putting $500 into a boring index fund every month and watching the market wobble sideways. It’s enough to make anyone question what they’re doing.
Why Boring Beats Brilliant
Every generation has its bubbles—gold and oil in the ’70s, mining stocks and leverage in the ’80s, dot-coms in the ’90s, energy and resource plays in the 2000s, crypto and weed stocks in the 2010s, and now AI everything. And during each of those periods, a very predictable thing happens: people abandon their long-term strategy to chase the new hot thing.
The problem is, by the time it feels safe or exciting to jump in, you’re probably late. And when things crash (as they often do), many people bail at a loss and start over again. That cycle—buying high, panicking low—kills returns.
The real winners? The ones who stayed the course. The ones who understood that wealth isn’t built on hype, it’s built on habits.
The Temptation to Pivot
Seeing others succeed—especially when it looks fast and easy—triggers a deep, uncomfortable feeling: Why not me?
Why am I working hard and grinding it out while everyone else is winning the lottery?
That mindset is poison. And it leads to fomo-driven decisions that derail the one thing that actually works in investing: time.
If you chase the next big thing every 18 months, you never give your current plan time to actually play out. You’re digging dozens of shallow holes instead of sticking with one and eventually striking gold.
“Yeah, But My Advisor Said…”
You’ve probably heard it:
“You could be getting double-digit returns if you went with a more active strategy.”
Of course they said that. We’ve been in a raging bull market for most of the past 15 years. Everything looks smart in hindsight when the market keeps going up. The S&P 500 has crushed it. So have broad index funds. Passive investors have made a ton of money—without chasing fads or paying high fees.
The truth? Over the long run, index funds beat most actively managed funds. But this isn’t just about index funds. It’s also about sticking with high-quality blue chip companies, the Big 5 banks, the Big 10 dividend payers, the Magnificent 7 tech giants—whatever your approach is, the key is that you actually stick with it.
Pick a sound strategy and give it time to work. Most people don’t fail because they chose the wrong path—they fail because they keep switching lanes every time someone honks.
Yeah, but…
Active investors say they’re nimble.
Advisors say they can protect you in a downturn.
Someone’s cousin “knows a guy” who tripled his portfolio.
Blah blah.
Listen, The Money Couch isn’t here to knock advisors who genuinely help their clients. The ones who provide perspective, keep you grounded, and help you stay the course when things get rocky? If you don’t have the discipline or self-control, they’re worth every penny.
It’s the other ones you need to watch out for—the ones constantly shuffling money around, collecting fees, always “rebalancing” and poking and prodding your portfolio like it’s a Jenga tower. That constant interference is often doing more harm than good.
Good advice is calm, steady, and boring. Just like a good investment plan.
Final Thought: You’re Not Falling Behind
It only feels like everyone else is getting rich because you’re surrounded by highlights, not the full story. Most people aren’t as far ahead as they claim. And even if they are, it doesn’t matter. Your plan is your plan.
If you’ve done the work, picked a solid strategy, and understand your timeline—then the hardest and most important thing you can do… is nothing.
Stay consistent. Stay patient. Stay boring.
Because boring builds wealth.
