The hype

You’ve probably heard there are lots of concerning recession signs for global economies. Yet this is the chart for how the Dow Jones Industrial Average has performed over the last 100+ years. Not too bad.

It’s tempting to buy into the hype of today’s headlines. The thinking goes that hype awareness is how we get ahead. And if you pick the perfect thing, at the perfect time, in the perfect place, well, then sure, you’ll end up ahead.

That’s also a whole lot of ‘perfects’ to nail perfectly.

More often, tuning into the hype is a trap. It’s a daily rat race with only a few winners (likely not you), and where everyone else has to start over at zero the next day.

The chart above highlights an alternative: skip the hype. Acknowledge the reality that every day won’t be a win and choose to invest our time, effort, and energy with a focus beyond the frantic urgency of today.

It’s still a daily practice, and one where you don’t have to start at zero tomorrow.