Don’t break what’s working

A strong start without the buzz

Bullma was 23 and proud of her decision.

Instead of jumping on hype stocks, she had put $10,000 into a solid world ETF.

It felt like the grown-up move. Low cost, diversified, long-term.

After one year, it had returned 13%. Steady. Clean. No drama.

She even checked a compound calculator once and saw the number:

If she just left it there for 15 years, she’d be sitting on over $50,000.

But then came the apps. The feeds. The charts.

TikTok traders talking 10x returns. Reddit threads filled with moonshots.

It wasn’t that her plan was bad.

It just felt... slow.

Everyone else seemed to be making real money. She started thinking:

What if I’m missing my shot by staying put?

The impulse to act hits hard

She sold the ETF. It was up. That felt safe.

She took the $11,300 and split it into three hype stocks that were trending on every platform.

She didn’t know much about them. But others had turned small bets into big wins. Why not her?

For a while, things were flat. Then came the drops.

One stock cratered after a product delay. Another pumped and dumped. The third just... faded.

By the end of the second year, her portfolio was down.

Not just compared to the 13% gain. But in absolute terms. And then came tax season. Because she’d sold the ETF for a gain, she now owed taxes on profits she no longer had.

She hadn’t just lost money. She had broken a working system. And the worst part?

She had done it out of boredom.

The cost of acting just to feel something

Bullma realized she wasn’t chasing returns.

She was chasing the feeling of progress.

She had confused motion with improvement.

And she had paid for it with time she couldn’t get back.

If she had just done nothing, she’d be on a clear path to wealth.

Instead, she was back at the start. Slightly older. A little frustrated. And much, much wiser.

Lesson unlocked:

1. Slow ≠ weak. Boring compounding often beats flashy trades once taxes, timing, and risk catch up.
2. Motion ≠ progress. Selling a working plan for excitement usually destroys returns and momentum.
3. Patience prints. Long-term consistency builds wealth in ways hype stocks rarely sustain.

Bullma didn’t make a reckless bet. She made a restless one.

Her long-term strategy wasn’t broken. It just didn’t feed the urge to act.

Test your instinct in the quiz.

Next up: how to stay calm when volatility hits.