Find Your Investing Routine
Consistency pays from the Jobu voodoo doll to daily workouts.
Have you seen the move Major Leagues? It’s about a struggling Cleveland Indians team. A young Charlie Sheen puts on an incredible performance playing a wreckless bad boy pitcher named Ricky Vaughn. He throws pure heat and comes out to a blasting Wild Thing song. That’s his routine. And that’s what this post is about — finding your routine.
There’s another character in the movie who some of you might also remember. His name is Pedro Cerrano and he can’t hit curve balls. He finds a routine that for one reason or another solves his problems. He starts worshipping a voodoo doll named Jobu. For this is the sacred way of connecting your mind and body with the curve ball gods.
I wrote this post in the middle of baseball season and it has me thinking about the routines that happen throughout the sport. If you follow the MLB, you know. If you don’t, the examples from the movie Major Leagues is really just scratching the surface. Players have all sorts of routines, rituals, and and specifically how they prepare for games. I’m not sure any other sport has so many superstitious players practicing rituals.
I remember when the short stop Nomar Garciaparra would do a little dance, check his gloves, and his cleats before stepping into the batters box each time. That happened three times a night throughout an entire season. I also remember Ichiro Suzuki, who would point, shoulder shake, and stretch out his arm before each bat.
In investing, I think your routine can help your performance. What do you do to start each day? Or before each trade? Or even for your general strategy? Warren Buffett once said, “I just sit in my office and read all day.” That’s his routine. Reading and studying as much as possible.
Routines have been well documented across all sports and industries.Another favorite of mine was the NBA player Jeff Hornacek. His free throw ritual was interesting. He would touch the side of his cheek before every shot at the foul line.
Everywhere you look, you will see it. Especially if you pay close attention. Michael Jordan would stick his tongue out and Stephen Curry shoots a shot from the tunnel. Before every game, Lebron James walks to the score table and throws powder into the air.Powder in the air! Make it rain powder LBJ! You might think this would get exhausting in a 80+ game season, but that’s his thing.
The point of the ritual is to prepare you a task you want to do well at. Maybe there’s that one thing that will push your focus to a level higher than where it would be without it. I’ve heard meditation helps, and I’ve heard using a journal or a checklist helps. I should try both at some point.
When I was growing up, my dad loved routines. He would run several miles every morning before 6 AM. That one ritual started the entire day for him. As a kid, I would try to join on a few runs, but damn 6 AM was hard to do. Early morning runs are still hard for me and I doubt it will ever be a ritual of mine. Everyone approaches their routines differently.
We see professional athletes practice their routines all the time. Rarely do we hear or see everyday professionals practice their routines. If Lebron was an everyday guy working a normal job, I wonder if he would still care to through powder in the air — maybe grounded coffee. I think investors can benefit as well. As long as it helps you succeed at the thing you love, that’s all that matters.
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