“In the woods we return to reason and faith.” - Emerson
Look at the profile of any mountain, what you see are many ups and downs, valleys and peaks. Similar to life’s journey and very similar to the markets. Beautiful days and brutal days. Hiking is enjoyable for many reasons. Being out in nature, forests and mountains, air so clean breathing becomes addictive. The sense of accomplishment or desire for more. These are all reasons I began going on long walks up large mountains. Mount Washington in New Hampshire is a beautiful and brutal mountain. Living in a small cabin, on the side of the mountain, I worked as search and rescue. People become seriously injured or worse in the mountains. I had to pay attention. This need to remain focused has truly changed the way I think and approach many challenges and life choices. The truly valuable lessons hiking taught me have been practical ones. It wasn’t until later that I saw the connection between these lessons learned in the backcountry and other aspects of everyday life.
"You just need to have the courage to eliminate everything that doesn't directly feed what you really want." -James Clear
Hiking helps to improve decision-making skills. In the mountains, you often have to make quick decisions. Which route to take, how to handle unexpected obstacles, and how to allocate energy and resources. These same decision-making skills can be applied to investing, where one must analyze and choose between various investment vehicles and strategies. Listen, I’m not only talking about crypto or the markets, going for a hike or walk is an investment in your physical and mental health. Physical activity, especially hiking, has improved my ability to stay patient and endure. If you participated in the stock market and especially the crypto space during the past few years, the ability to endure is one of the main reasons why you are still here.
Hiking not only oxygenates your heart and keeps your body calmer, but also can help keep your mind sharper. A hike in nature also can elevate mental well being by lowering stress and calming anxieties. “BetterAging.com”
Hiking can help to improve risk assessment skills. During my time working mountain search and rescue, I saw the seriousness of poor risk management. In life or while on the side of a mountain unexpected events happen. Hiking often involves navigating hazardous terrain and assessing the potential risks and rewards of different routes. Risk assessment of course works well when applied to other areas of life or investing. where individuals must weigh the risk vs reward of different investments and opportunities. Diversification across different sectors, industries and vehicles helps to manage risk. If you're not implementing things like real time alerts or stop losses, it’s easy to fall hard. Proper risk management can even begin with dollar cost averaging, slowly building up to bigger and bigger mountains. I’ve truly learned to appreciate the journey because when the summit has been reached and I’m back in my car; all that’s left are sore legs, photographs and the next mountain. “It’s the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top. Here’s where things grow.” - Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Life can be an incredible experience if approached with the right mindset. Hiking has helped me in many areas of my life. How to suffer, stay mindful, focus and enjoy the ride. Embrace the suffering, understand that the journey is the destination, stay mindful and avoid getting hurt, and have patience. By keeping these ideas in mind, you will be able to enjoy the journey and create lasting memories. Next time you're having a difficult time with a decision or something in your life, go take a hike!
Stay informed my friends.
@RainyDayzCreative
Rainy Dayz Creative - Website
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This article is not intended as financial advice. These are my opinions and thoughts on my own journey in the markets and investing.
