Do you really want to focus on the jelly fish?

Edward Challis13/10/2020

I am writing this before heading for a morning dip in Granton Harbour. For some reason, the thought of jellyfish came to mind and nearly made me not want to go.

The thought of being stung engulfed my mind and took my focus away from anything else that comes hand in hand with a morning swim; the peacefulness, the sense of achieving something (usually whilst most people are still sleeping), seeing Edinburgh’s shoreline on moody or sunny mornings, feeling completely refreshed and alive the first time I submerge my head, the physical and mental benefits of cold water, the Friday treat of a bacon roll afterwards!!

If I remain focused purely on the small chance of being stung by a jelly fish, and stay at home and enjoy another coffee, I would be denying myself all the other opportunities. The human mind is a powerful tool and one that, if we are not careful, can deny us things we may actually want. So how to over come this? By switching focus and here are my 3 tips on how to do this:

1) Take time to set an end goal that you truly desire to achieve.
2) Acknowledge that there may be jelly fish but focus on the goal and other great parts.
3) Review your end goal to make sure you still truly desire it.

This is exactly how I work with clients. We need to start at the end to confirm what it to be achieved by working together. If investing is the best way to achieve an end goal, there can be “jellyfish stings” along the way, however, if we plan for these and make sure that the overall benefit achieved outweighs any stings, even really bad ones, then that’s where our focus should lie.

For some previous bad experience or falls in market values are their stings but the opportunity to set long term goals, better the current tax paying situation, ensure all allowances are utilised, being invested in the right risk category, ways to out strip inflation etc. are lost if their stings continue to be the overwhelming thoughts in their mind.