Focus

Towards the end of last year I blogged about keeping things simple – keeping the main thing, the main thing. The accompanying illustration by Carl Richards depicts this so well. This illustration shows the things that matter versus the things that we have control over. Where the two overlap, is where we as investors should focus our attention.
Let me give you an example: for me, a great education for my children is something that matters. Saving for their education and making provision for this in the budget, I have control over. In order to get my children a great education, I can save and budget accordingly. So this is something I can focus on.
Worrying about the South African government and their misappropriation of finances is not worth worrying about as I have no control over it. However, I do have control over where I invest my money. By investing my money offshore or in unit trusts not affected by government policies, I can protect my investments by diversifying my risk.
How often do we worry about things outside of our control, instead of keeping things simple? We worry about the Rand dropping or increasing. Or the bottom falling out of the property market or fuel prices rising again. Yet we have no control over these things.
Rather we should write down our goals i.e. things that matter, look at that which we have control over and focus on those. Give our energy, time and talents to things that do matter.  How often have we not heard that someone on their deathbed said, “I wish I had spent more time with my family. I wish I had been at home more. I wish I had kept it simpler.”
What matters to you? Are you giving your energy to the things you can control? Or are you spending time and energy, finances and resources on things that don’t matter and are out of your control? Are you making the main thing, the main thing?