Why I Stopped Chasing Market Timing and Started Building Wealth

I used to check my portfolio obsessively, trying to time the perfect entry and exit points. The stress was killing me, and ironically, my returns were terrible. Here's the counterintuitive approach that finally made me money.

The Obsession Years

For three years, I was that investor. You know the type—constantly refreshing portfolio apps, reading every market prediction article, convinced I could outsmart the system. I had spreadsheets tracking every market indicator, followed dozens of financial Twitter accounts, and spent hours analyzing charts.

The result? I was stressed, exhausted, and my returns were abysmal.

The Wake-Up Call

The turning point came during the March 2020 market crash. While everyone was panicking, I thought I was being clever by trying to time the bottom. I sold positions, waited for the "perfect" entry point, and watched as the market recovered without me.

That's when I realized: I wasn't investing—I was gambling.

The Simple Strategy That Changed Everything

I decided to try something radical: boring, consistent investing. Here's what I did:

1. Automated Everything - Set up automatic transfers to investment accounts - Scheduled monthly purchases of index funds - Removed investment apps from my phone's home screen

2. Adopted the "Set It and Forget It" Mindset Instead of trying to time the market, I committed to: - Investing the same amount every month, regardless of market conditions - Buying during both market highs and lows - Focusing on time in the market, not timing the market

3. Diversified Broadly - 70% total stock market index funds - 20% international index funds - 10% bonds for stability

The Results

After switching to this boring strategy:

**Year 1**: 12% return (vs. 3% when I was timing) **Year 2**: 18% return (vs. -2% previously) **Year 3**: 22% return (vs. 8% previously)

More importantly, I slept better, had less stress, and could focus on other areas of my life.

Your Next Steps

Remember: time in the market beats timing the market. The best investment strategy is the one you can stick with consistently, especially during the inevitable downturns.

Start boring. Start simple. Start today.