Do You Have What It Takes to Start Investing in 2025

Watch the extended version HERE.

Investing is often called simple and easy, but it’s really not. It’s like getting six-pack abs—everyone knows you need to eat less and work out more, but doing it is a whole other story. With investing, knowing what’s hard can make all the difference.

First up, uncertainty. Approaching investing feels like putting yourself out there, like when I worked up the courage to talk to my wife before we were married. There’s no way to know how a stock will perform until you try. Sure, I could go for guaranteed returns with a CD or treasury bond, but the stock market averages 10% annual returns over the long term. That’s powerful for building wealth.

But uncertainty messes with your head, especially during market crashes. When prices drop, it feels like stepping off a cliff—terrifying, even if you know it’s the right move. I still remember the 2020 COVID crash. The market plummeted 30%, and fear pushed people to sell at the bottom. Then, within five months, it bounced back. The best way I deal with uncertainty? Automatic investing. I set $100 to go into the market every week. No overthinking, no obsessing. Over time, the stock market’s long-term growth does the work.

Second, boredom. Investing isn’t exciting most of the time. It’s a slow grind. If I invest $50 a week for two years, I might end up with $6,000. Not thrilling, but stick with it for 20 years, and it’s $163,000. After 40 years? Over $2 million. That’s the magic of compounding—it starts slow but snowballs over time. To beat boredom, I set up automatic investments and focus on other parts of life. Checking my returns daily is a shortcut to burnout.

Finally, there’s the debate: active or passive investing? Active investing is like building custom furniture—it’s personal and can be rewarding if you’re skilled. Passive investing is IKEA—simple, reliable, and cost-effective. For most of us, consistently investing in low-cost index funds beats trying to outsmart the market. Even pros have a hard time outperforming passive strategies over the long haul.

The hardest part of investing isn’t picking the right stocks; it’s sticking with it through the ups and downs. Automatic investments and a long-term mindset make all the difference. 

But before you start investing in 2025, check out this video HERE to see how to put yourself in the best position to succeed. 

Cheers!