For a show where “nothing happens,” there’s still something captivating about Seinfeld! Maybe it’s how the characters show up for each other and keep at it, even when life is absurd. Is our own support system pointing us in the right direction?
Want content like this in your inbox each week? Leave your email here.
by Caitie Leibman, Director of Communications
We never make decisions alone.
No—we’re not talking about all the different people we might consult when making a decision. We’re not talking about the family members, loved ones, or trusted counselors in our lives that help us navigate the big stuff.
Instead, we’re talking about what happens in our own minds. We never make decisions alone because there are always at least three different versions of us in the mix! This idea has been explored by a number of researchers who study the psychology of happiness, and writer Laura Vanderkam has summarized it really nicely in her work.
Basically, our decisions are always happening by committee:
The challenge is that only one of these people has to live out the costs of each choice: the experiencing self. Consider an everyday example… Should I go for a walk this morning?
“Nah, too cold,” says the experiencing self. “I’m tired.”
“But think of how energized we’ll feel after we walk,” says the anticipating self.
“Yeah, that’s how we felt last time we didn’t want to take a walk but then we did,” says the remembering self.
“Yeah, but you bozos don’t have to find clean socks, or bundle up, or drag your behind out there, or clean the floor after we track our shoes inside. I do!”
And that darn experiencing self isn’t wrong. But it doesn’t mean she should get the final say every single time. Do you hear the good points the other two have to offer? They’re not wrong either.
The experiencing self—the one that lives here, does a lot of the lifting, and has to deal with discomfort—has a disproportionate impact on two other really important people: your anticipating self and your remembering self. It’s a huge opportunity.
That anticipating self is teeing up some good stuff for you. She’s planning for retirement, investing wisely so that you might spend well. Making the most of those chapters of life is something you can do to honor her effort.
The remembering self might be savoring your choices for decades. What kind of experiences do you want to give her to work with? How do you want her to look back on you?
It’s not about getting every little thing in life just right. Sometimes, a walk is just a walk. A sandwich is just a sandwich. A paycheck is just a paycheck.
But from time to time, it’s good to zoom out and see how these three people are getting along. When our plans, experiences, and memories are working together, life can feel very rich.
What are you savoring from the past, enjoying in the present, or looking forward to in the future?
No matter where you find yourself, we’re wishing (all three of) you some peace, comfort, and joy today.
Want content like this in your inbox each week? Leave your email here.
Play the audio version of this post below:
The start of the New Year is a natural time to take stock—and appraise the opportunities and threats we investors may face.
Many Wall Street firms, market pundits, and fellow investment advisors like to weigh in on what lies ahead. Some are quite detailed about which sectors of the market may shine or fade, whether interest rates are going to go up or down, and what the economy or the markets or the Federal Reserve are likely to do.
Here at 228 Main, we have a slightly different approach. Because our time horizon extends beyond the months ahead, we are thinking about how the next seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years are going to play out.
Just a few of our Research Team’s theories about companies, industries, and society illustrate this expansive timeline:
You may note that none of these depend on any of the details that most “2024 Outlook” reports focus on. We’re not all tied up in knots about the possibility of recession because we already know that the next one is coming (and so is the recovery which will inevitably follow.) And what will the Federal Reserve do? It literally does not matter, over our time horizon and yours.
The opportunity in 2024 is the same as always: to employ a longer time horizon than others, to be more patient with fluctuating markets, and to focus on the fundamentals of specific opportunities—not the frenzy about things outside our control.
And the threat in 2024 is also the same: the risk of getting caught up in short-sighted ways of looking at things, of following the crowd, of letting persistent pessimism into our brains.
In our opinion, it’s more fun our way!
All of us here at 228 Main want you to know that in 2024 we are going to continue with the values and principles that brought us to this moment, always seeking to refine our strategy and tactics as the future unfolds. That’s our “2024 Outlook.”
Please email or call, if there are things on your radar for 2024 that we should know about.
Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. This material contains forward looking statements and projections; there is no guarantee that any forecasts made will come to pass.
Want content like this in your inbox each week? Leave your email here.
Play the audio version of this post below:
You must be logged in to post a comment.