Getting caught up on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire over the weekend led me to take a look in the mirror and remember why I wanted to enter the markets.
In the first episode of season 3 we are re-introduced to the former agent turned fugitive Nelson Van Alden who is attempting to win an iron selling contest and finds himself looking at a mirror. He utters the Émile Coué phrase "Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better" with as much conviction as he possibly can. This scene struck me in a very interesting way as an investor.
Every day, millions of investors enter the market seeking the exact same outcome. No investor enters the market with the intent of entering a losing position they believe will lose money just as no sales person enters the marketplace with the intent of getting doors slammed in thier face.
I would be surprised if Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan or Floyd Mayweather wake up and look in the mirror and say that phrase. They get up every day and do what needs or needed to get done in order to win at what they do and as a by-product, they have the results that speak for themselves.
It is important to improve every day but wanting or saying I am improving every day is not enough. The objective is to move forward every day with measurable and actionable results.
Take the Nike pharse and "just do it", measure it and Just do it again.