Climbing Mount Improbable

Climbing Mount Improbable

In Richard Dawkin’s book Climbing Mount Improbable, he presents a parable to help explain the concept of evolution. 

He suggests that the evolution from an amoeba to a fish took place one small incremental step at a time.

Each step in isolation assisted with the goal of survival, gradually morphing the creature into an animal with unique abilities, adapted perfectly to their environment.

This would be a much more likely proposition than evolution occurring all in one foul swoop.

I would like to use this analogy of taking small incremental steps, from an investing perspective – whether your chosen vehicle for wealth creation is property or the sharemarket.

Picture yourself at the base of a mountain.

One side is a sheer cliff, jagged, and impossible to climb.

On the other side is a gentle slope reaching all the way to the summit. 

In our case, imagine that the summit represents investing success.

When many investors start out, they try to take a gargantuan leap up the sheer side of the cliff, only to fall over and damage their self-esteem and trading equity.

Rather than take the small, sometimes boring, foundation steps required to reach trading success up the gentle slope, they hurl themselves upwards, trying to make a vertical leap at effective investing.

Without taking the intervening steps required, you will never reach the summit, and you will very likely give up in the process.

Where are you on your investing journey?

Are you just at the beginning, or have you already started to climb the mountain? 

Are you the type of person who has tried to jump up the side of the cliff, or are you willing to gradually, yet persistently pursue your goal?

Take the baby steps needed to help you climb the mountain track of investing success.

Sure – it’s not as explosive as trying a vertical leap, but it’s the only way every successful property investor has learned their skill.

And… keep in mind… following in the footsteps of someone who has climbed the mountain previously always makes for an easier trip.