Going from a small saver to an investor

The excitement kicked in when the "confirm" button turned blue. With butterflies in her stomach, she was about to make her first investment outside of the stock market. "High risk! Dangerous!" buzzed in her head.

It wasn't a huge amount; she planned to save the invested capital back over a few months. The real challenge was overcoming the mental barrier—the one that said investors were people who had sold their (tech) companies for millions. She had no company to sell; could she still go from a small saver to an investor? 

 

She was reminded of what it says in her favorite book, Passion Works by Linda Hammarstrand:

"You don't have to be good to start, but you must start to become good."

Click, sent. The first important step was taken.

She took an angel investing course that both inspired and scared her into making sense of it all. And even though she had to Google financial concepts she didn't understand, she was on her way.

"You have to start to become good." 

 

She learned more about investing outside of the stock market. What a treasure trove of opportunities and pitfalls! Here, it was all about keeping a cool head, doing due diligence, and only risking what you can afford to lose, just like in the stock market. All investments carry risk, and you need to be aware of it, but that doesn't mean you should avoid them. You just need to take it into consideration and stick to the plan. Tinder is a risk too... 

 

The journey was sometimes a smooth ride with cruise control, other times a mountain range—at times with a hissing lunatic on her shoulder: Who do you think you are? Warren Buffet? Hahaha!

The nasty voice that occasionally appeared was her inner doubt. Despite that, she kept going and surrounded herself with like-minded people who inspired and encouraged her when she needed it.

Slowly but surely, her comfort zone expanded as her experience and knowledge grew. She met more investors who, just like her, had learned to use the tool—money—to generate growth, all without selling a single company. This was fun! 

 

At the next suitable investment opportunity, she put in twice the amount of capital as the first time, money she had saved from the stock market, now with the confidence of being a real investor. She had broadened her internal view of what was possible, and then it became possible. Today, she is an investor and acts like one. 

 

So to you who are thinking about taking that step, no matter the area:

Is 2025 the year you do it? The year you open an ISK account and buy your first fund or stock? Start a business or scale up your existing one, do that thing you’ve always dreamed of? Get help, study, learn something new, find your path and your role models (they’re out there!), and surround yourself with your best cheering squad. Start small if you need to. 

 

And remember: You don't have to be good to start, but you must start to become good.