Lessons Learned from My Investment Journey: How I Revalued Money Beyond Investing

I started investing with my first salary from freelancing, driven by my desire to grow my money. Having money can either motivate you to earn more or to buy what you want or need. Investing is like making your money multiply on its own, but it requires skills and planning to make that happen. Investing is broad; you can invest your time learning new skills, your effort in relationships, or your money to grow. Investing money can be either passive or active. Active investing involves dedicating a lot of time to monitoring graphs and engaging in short-term strategies like buying low and selling high. Passive investing, on the other hand, involves putting your money into assets and then largely forgetting about it—though you should still have an exit plan.

Back then, I was eager for quick cash. The money I earned made me want more, so I turned to trading. It was tough, especially as a beginner. I tried to learn how to read graphs for key points on when to buy and sell. As I progressed, my risk appetite increased, but my trading skills did not improve significantly. I ended up losing money I had worked hard to earn over 2-3 months. This experience taught me that trading is not just about graphs but also about understanding market sentiment, as graphs can be deceptive. Trading is time-consuming and energy-draining, requiring skill to control emotions. I realized trading might not be my long-term path, so I shifted to passive investing. This type of investing involves researching companies to buy stocks, which is time-consuming, but I hope my future self will thank me.

Even though I stuck to passive investing, some classmates started trading foreign currencies and commodities and invited me to join. I declined because it wasn't something I enjoyed, but I wanted to remain involved in investing, which is why I continued with passive investing.

Investing doesn't grow wealth immediately. It's not a lottery where you bet every day, spend a lot of money, and hope for a lucky break. Investing is about time and strategy. It involves continually improving your strategy, researching good-value stocks, and taking calculated risks on undervalued stocks.

What I learned from my investing journey is that emotions can be the greatest disruptor of decision-making. I would sell when things went down and buy when they went up, only to see things go the opposite way. Controlling emotions and making informed decisions is crucial. Excitement without data or analysis can lead to mistakes, as market movements can sometimes be deceptive. As Warren Buffett said, "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful."

Investing has also influenced how I spend money. I see people taking jobs with high pay, such as call center positions with graveyard shifts, only to spend their hard-earned money on expensive items like iPhones. While there's nothing wrong with that, an expensive phone isn't inherently special unless you enjoy showing it off. Making money is hard, especially at the beginning, and budgeting is key to maximizing earnings and maintaining discipline. Many lottery winners go from riches to rags because immediate gratification can lead to poor financial management. What I've learned is that earning money slowly has made me more responsible and appreciative of my past efforts.

Ultimately, money's value is determined by our choices. We need to know how to manage and grow it. Whether we strive to make more or live in the moment depends on our goals and future aspirations.