How to develop an investor mindset

We all have core beliefs about money. These beliefs inform our thoughts, emotions and actions around money. And ultimately they define our financial success.

What is your relationship with money? Perhaps some of these beliefs might ring true for you:

• If I just work hard, I will have enough money. 
• The rich get rich and the poor get poorer. 
• I’m bad with money.
• I’ll be happy once I have more money.
• Money is better off saved.

It’s important to acknowledge what opinions about money have become deeply ingrained in your mindset. Perhaps they have been passed on to you by family or from learned experience. Once you become aware of your beliefs, you can then consider if any are holding you back. Try completing this sentence “For me, money is……”

If you’re considering becoming an investor for the first time, this will involve adopting a whole new mindset. Getting the right mindset will help you stay the course for long-term success.

Here are 3 key components to developing an investor mindset:

• Clarity

Gaining clarity is about understanding your personal financial situation. Too many people barely know what their current bank account balance is, let alone have a solid understanding of their expenses, cash flow, savings and goals.

You might think that you’re good at saving, but are you really? You might think you’re not in a position to invest, but how sure are you? You might dream of financial freedom, but what number does that actually mean for you?

The more clear you can get on your current finances and aims the more clear and goal-oriented your mindset will become.

A simple way to get clarity is to attend a free monthly Scorecard workshop that helps you understand your financial situation in 90 minutes.

• Confidence

Do you feel nervous about investing? Are you worried about losing money? Hesitating to actually take the first step?

If you’re lacking confidence there is a good chance you’re also lacking knowledge.The more information you have the more you can make informed decisions that allow you to sleep easily at night.

Each person’s risk tolerance is different, you need to understand what your relationship with risk is and then choose an appropriate strategy.

The opposite of a confident investor is an emotional investor. Emotional investors make fear-based decisions and can miss out on opportunities or jump ship on a whim. Riding the ups and downs of the market takes knowledge and confidence.

Surrounding yourself with experts is a great way to enhance your own confidence. Leverage their knowledge and seek out investment opportunities that the pros are involved in.

• Capacity

Capacity refers to how much money you are willing and able to invest. This could be savings, super, or equity. Your capacity will vary depending on your situation, income, age, and goals.

Your expenses, mortgage repayments, dependents will also have an impact on how much capacity you are able to make available for investing. For example, someone with low income and high expenses may not want to make large or risky investments.

Working on these three things will help move you towards an investor mindset, allowing you to obtain the goals you want to achieve. It’s always a good idea to get some professional advice when investing. An expert can help you get clarity, confidence and understand your capacity, start the conversation today with an obligation free discovery call.