You still have chlorine in your nose from last night’s dive, and your bank app is flashing like a Christmas tree. You might wipe snow off your ski jacket while you study stats on tennis matches. No matter what, this piece is about that crazy place where pursuing excitement and chasing returns meet. Let’s get a towel and maybe a calculator. Read more on Adam McManus Etobicoke
Diving is exciting. You stand on the board, your heart racing, and the water below shimmers. You, gravity, and enough bravery to keep every muscle tight. The top divers will tell you about times when they hit the water belly-first in front of a crowd. It’s a thrill, a lesson in taking risks, making commitments, and getting back on track. Splashing hurts the wrong way. Sometimes, investments seem the same. A stock goes down. You pull back. Learned my lesson. Both require rapid thinking, brave decisions, and learning from a few embarrassing mistakes.
Skiing? Poetry on snow, then not. You change your weight and read the ground as you carve one beautiful line after another. But no one tells you about that one bad ice patch or the calamity that happens when your gloves don’t match. You can also get blindsided by the market. Just when you think you have the pattern down, an unexpected economic data makes your plan fall apart like a skier losing their foothold on powder. You have to know when to push and when to brake in the game.
But tennis is a head game that never stops moving. Serve, volley, backhand, forehand, and then do it again. Rally for long enough to beat your opponent. Also, money moves don’t often happen all at once. A little patience can sometimes lead to a win. You sometimes hit the ball too hard and it goes three courts away. But the finest golfers and investors know how to reset, change their grip, and swing again.
Let’s talk about money. It’s not just for those who wear suits and talk in jargon all day. Stories of equities that cost $50 paying off better than lattes or someone on a ski lift discovering the difference between Roth and Traditional IRAs. It turns out that finance is a lot like getting ready for a tournament. You pay attention to the weather, examine your gear, and make modest changes. You can get a flat tire, neglect to spread out your investments, or follow a hot suggestion that doesn’t work out. No one hits 1,000 on their first try.
And here’s the thing: both sports and money are powered by perseverance. That tough finals match, your first clean dive, your first brokerage account, and admitting you were wrong. It’s not embarrassing to ask for help or fall on your butt a few times. You only get good investments by not giving up after the first missed shot.
So the next time you’re in the middle of a routine, like balancing spreadsheets, huffing up a ski hill, or throwing another tennis ball for serve, give yourself some praise. You need courage, brains, and the will to get back up to play games and make money. After all, life is too short for wagers that are too safe and landings that are too flat.