3 Ways to Celebrate You're An Investor

My investing anniversary came up this week and here you can get some inspiration on how you can celebrate your investing milestones. For some people getting started with investing in stocks is something they need to overcome – I was definitely one of these people that spent years wanting to start but just didn’t have the courage. It can be uncomfortable and even scary, so in order to change mindset and mentality you can condition your mind to make investing a fun and motivating experience.

 

Annual Traditions

There are so many possibilities to celebrate investing events on a recurring basis. Marking the calendar for an annual celebration of you as an investor will create a new tradition. As mentioned, I have a special celebration once a year on July 13th – the day where I opened a book about investing and for the first time really found an investing method that resonated with me, and I realized that for 10 years, I had been doing it all wrong. I had been speculating if a stock would be trendy and go up and that is speculation and not investing. Investing is what I write about on this blog because it was such a big aha moment for me, that my mission today is to share this strategy with as many people as possible. Actually my own story is similar to Warren Buffett's story - he too had  been speculating for years. The way I celebrate opening that book and the change of my world view, is to make a special  day out of it. I celebrate it with my husband and kids too because I want them to know how investing can be a celebration. They all say happy anniversary to me which makes me so happy, and in the evening, I toast with my husband in a glass of sparkly wine or an artisan cocktail. It’s a tradition we’ve made.
Other examples are: on August 30th you can celebrate Warren Buffett’s birthday, or in the first weekend of May throw a drinks party in connection to the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting (either an in-person party or a zoom celebration) or you can celebrate special events that you’ve experienced yourself. 

 

Celebrate your firsts

When I was a skydiver (yes, a fun fact about me is that I used to skydive) there was a super fun tradition that every time you had a “first” you were celebrated and also had to buy a round of beer for your peers. Now, everything doesn’t have to be celebrated with alcohol – that’s not my point here, ha-ha. My point is that for a new investor there’s a lot of “firsts” and you should celebrate your firsts because you’ll likely be a bit nervous the first time you do things. First time you open a brokerage account, first course you finish (Nicky celebrated this with his wife and children. They made a bonfire, roasted hot dogs and s'mores), first trade you put in, first time you sold shares, first investing book you bought, first annual report read and many other firsts. When you do something the first time, it takes courage and can feel like big tasks to take on. So, remember to celebrate that you powered through and did it. I keep a file with photos of my firsts and other important events in my investing life. It’s so rewarding to review my journey.

 

Celebrate big milestones

Celebrating big milestones is important. You did it and with our busy lives we seem to not pause and acknowledge that we actually reached a new level. 

When my clients finish their first one-to-one coaching session or reach a big first, I usually suggest that they high-five themselves in the mirror every morning for five days. Getting educated about investing is certainly not something most people do and getting financially literate should be celebrated. The high-five method comes from Mel Robbins, and she mentions that the gesture is guaranteed to make you happy and give a fantastic start to the day. Apparently, it sends a signal to the brain because high-fiving is linked to celebration and even though it might feel awkward the first time, I guarantee it will make you feel great once you push through and do it. The reason to do it for multiple days is because we often move on and forget. I must admit that when I reach a goal I  don't even pause and celebrate unless I do it intentionally and if I do, I've forgot my success within a few hours and moved on to the  next thing. This action will extend the feeling and remind you of your awesomeness.

When I received an e-mail from Guy Spier, I went straight to my husband still shocked and excited and told him about this mail I got from a role model of mine, and he asked: “is this an eeek-moment?” and I said yes, and he started jumping around shrieking and I joined in on the fun. It’s a memory I cherish. 

It might sound like you must celebrate all the time, but I'm not suggesting you do all of this. Handpick a few ideas and implement them in your life.

List of things to do to celebrate:

Here’s a quick list of ideas and ways to celebrate your investing milestones. Some are cheap thrills and others are free, which are the most important ones, because everything doesn’t have to cost money and usually the special bonds between friends and family are the most memorable. 

• After an achievement, high five yourself in the mirror every morning for 5 days.
• Decorate the dining table with beautiful napkins, tablecloth flowers or confetti
• Call a close friend that you know will be thrilled for you.
• Make a bonfire, roast some hot dogs and s'mores
• Celebrate with champagne or other sparkly wine
• Go to a favorite restaurant and get treated
• Make a bath and light candles, prepare your favorite scents, and enjoy a long soak.
• Create a special celebration playlist on Spotify and do your best dance moves. 
• Tell your partner and family that it’s your anniversary so they celebrate you too.
• Customize an ornament or other engraved item with your milestone in print, that you keep in sight in your investing office.
• Throw a party with drinks either in-person event or on zoom.
• Share a post on social media.
• Take photos or screen photos of your “firsts”, your milestones and successes and save the photos in a folder or in a document. 
• Throw your hands in the air and jump up and down. Goofy smiles are welcome.
• Agree with investor friends to celebrate each other – it can be greeting cards, virtual toasts or group hugs.