"I Understand How Hard This Game Is..."

From the desk of Willie Delwiche.

I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world. 

This probably makes me a bit of an All Star Charts outlier. I don't watch many games of any kind (especially during the regular season). Nor am I a good source for offseason updates or perspectives on roster moves and coaching changes… 

But now’s a great time to be interested (even casually) in the Milwaukee sports scene. We had the Bucks winning the NBA championship earlier this summer. Now the Brewers have one of the best records in all of baseball and a division lead that’s approaching double-digits heading into the final month of the regular season.

I keep tabs on the Brewers the old-fashioned way--reading about them in the newspaper. This morning, I came across this quote from Kolten Wong, second baseman and leadoff hitter:

"You're competing against pitchers who are throwing 100 (mph), command three or four pitches. Guys don't really care if you're in a slump at this level; they're going to continue to bury you."

That perspective transcends baseball. It's a warning that applies directly to investing. The environment can be challenging, and the market can throw a lot at you. If you fall behind and press, it's all too easy to get buried.

But Wong follows up with this wisdom:

"I just understand a lot more now. I understand how hard this game is. My outlook on the game is different. I'm just going out there and competing, trying to do whatever I can to have a good at-bat and the results will take care of itself."

Even when the game gets messy, don't press. Don't try to mimic someone else's process or wish for a different market. Neither of those “solutions” are going to lead to great outcomes.

Instead, maintain your discipline and stay focused on your process.

This may include taking some time to better understand the theories and principles you bring to your observations and actions. As Darwin said, "You cannot observe without a theory."

Take what the market gives you and work with it. Turn theory into practice.

Is it a messy market right now? Absolutely… has been for months.

Is it difficult to stay focused on your plan and your approach? Yes. Now and always.

But when we understand what is under our control and stay focused, results follow.

The Brewers are proving it on the baseball diamond. We can see it in the market, too.