Long-game philosophy and feeling uncertain
Hey Reader,
In 1998 when the Roth IRA came into existence, my dad had me come home from college to open an account.
(If you’re not in the US or just not familiar, here’s the brief definition — a Roth IRA is a retirement account that’s taxed when you put the money in, not when you take the money out like 401k or SEP IRA.)
At the time, he gave me this advice:
- Try to put something in each year
- Put in what you can, when you can. If it’s not a lot one year, that’s okay; as your income grows, you can put more in
- And maybe most importantly, don’t look at the statements
This is a traditional long-game philosophy. Take small, consistent actions for a long time and the rewards will come later.
I try to live by this philosophy in other areas of my life, but it’s not always easy.
Sometimes I think:
- What I’m doing doesn’t seem like much
- Is anything happening?
- Is this actually going to work down the road?
Maybe you feel this way, too.
Maybe you’ve been working on a digital product but you’re not confident that you can do it. Maybe you’re trying to build your audience, but it’s slow going. Maybe you have doubts that what you’re doing is actually going to work.
It can be really hard to sit in the discomfort.
I get it, and honestly, I’m feeling a bit of this right now.
Gill, one of my guests in season 1, sometimes finds herself in this position. She gives herself 10 minutes and then moves on. (Check out Gill’s episode at the 57-minute mark.)
What do you think? What works for you when you’re feeling uncertain?
Best,
Rene
P.S. Season 2 launched TODAY 🥳 🎉 Check out the latest episode on YouTube or your favorite podcast player.