The Waiting Place

Ever read Dr Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go?

There’s a part called The Waiting Place, a spot where people get stuck, waiting for something to happen. A bus, a train, the phone to ring...or, in our world, waiting for the markets to calm down.

Sound familiar?

A lot of families we work with are in that waiting place right now. Waiting for the right time to invest. Waiting for the economy to stabilise. Waiting for someone to tell them it’s all going to be OK.

The real cost of waiting

The financial media loves a good panic. Fear sells. And with memories of the last downturn still fresh, it’s understandable that many business-owning families are feeling jittery. But here’s the thing, when fear takes the wheel, it can send your long-term plan off the rails.

We’re hardwired to avoid loss. It’s a survival instinct. But when it comes to your finances, that same instinct can lead to decisions that feel safe now but hurt you later.

Here are two common traps we see:

• Putting  contributions on pause – “Let’s wait ‘til things settle down.” Sound familiar?
• Overhauling  your investment strategy – Often switching to ultra-conservative options because the market feels scary.

Both can do serious damage over time.

So what’s the better move?

Discipline. Not a sexy word, we know, but one that gets real results.

The most successful investors we work with don’t chase perfect timing. They stay the course. Even when the headlines are grim. Even when everyone else is panicking.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Keeping up regular contributions, rain or shine.
• Ignoring the noise and avoiding knee-jerk decisions.
• Sticking with a strategy that’s been built to weather storms, not just sunshine.

A great example? During the 2007–2009 GlobalFinancial Crisis, many who kept investing through the downturn ended upbuilding serious wealth, because they kept buying while prices were low, and rode the recovery all the way up.

Don’t let a pause in the market put your plan on ice

We see it all the time: families afraid of a possible 20% drop end up missing out on the next 100% upswing. Markets move in cycles. Always have. Always will. But your long-term plan? That’s built to last through all of it.

Just because the market’s uncertain doesn’t mean your plan should be.

So here’s your friendly nudge: don’t sit in the waiting place.

Your financial future isn’t on hold. The best time to stick to your plan... is now.

Let’s keep things moving forward, your future self will thank you for it.

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