29/04/2025
Is investing like SCUBA diving?
I’ve always been risk adverse when it comes to water, much like some people can be afraid of market risk. Whether rational or not, it was a no-go for me.
For me, this meant no swimming in deep water and definitely no jumping from diving boards. This was comfortable for me, but I knew it was a barrier.
I’ve dreamt of scuba diving since I was in my 20s, embracing a vibrant world of coral and sea life…but water and I have a love-hate relationship.
The moment my head went under water, the fear kicks in like someone had me on a cliff, expecting me to jump to 1 of the 15 different ways I had already imagined I would die.
When I took my first steps into a scuba diving pool over Easter, that fear gripped me entirely. Sitting in just 1.2 metres of water, and that only intensified at the thought of 3 metres. There were tears, I wanted to quit, I was done.
I almost gave up on day 1, but I was getting in my own way, and I’d forever have FOMO if I came this far just to quit.
Similar to someone buying into a falling market for the first time, despite the fear, I pushed through and completed the 3-day SCUBA certification in the pool and then well beyond my comfort zone in 12-metre-deep ocean water. I learnt how to take it slow and make logical decisions even when my irrational brain was pulling me into fight or flight.
Feeling uncomfortable but acting logically over and over again opened a door to a beautiful pastime that I can now say I’m addicted to. Confronting my fear has removed that barrier between me and the beautiful underwater world.
Afterwards I thought of how it’s like investing; you can play it safe and avoid market risk, but if you want to live a life on YOUR terms, you may need to embrace the downward markets so you can participate in the growth. Learning to push though the discomfort until you understand how it’s helping you achieve your goals is the barrier you need to break.
Quote for the year: Feel the fear, and do it anyway. - Susan Jeffers
