Priya had been planning to start investing for eight months.
She had everything figured out: – Which funds to invest in (researched extensively) – How much to invest (₹10,000/month once she had ₹50,000 as an emergency fund) – When to start (after clearing her credit card debt)
Her plan was perfect. Airtight. Logical.
There was just one problem: she still hadn’t started.
Her friend Rekha, who earned ₹5,000 less per month, had been investing ₹7,000/month for the past eight months.
Portfolio value: ₹58,400 (₹56,000 invested + ₹2,400 gains)
Priya’s portfolio value: ₹0
“When are you going to start?” Rekha asked over coffee.
“Soon,” Priya said. “I’m just waiting for the right time. Maybe next month when I get my bonus.”
Rekha smiled. “You know what David Schwartz says in The Magic of Thinking Big?”
“What?”
“‘Action cures fear. Indecision, postponement, on the other hand, fuel fear.’“
Priya frowned. “I’m not afraid. I’m being strategic.”
“Are you?” Rekha asked. “Because from where I’m sitting, you’ve been ‘being strategic’ for eight months. And I’ve been building wealth.”
—
The Planning Trap
David Schwartz writes:
“The test of a successful person is not an ability to eliminate all problems before they arise, but to meet and work out difficulties when they do arise.”
Translation: Stop planning. Start doing.
Priya’s problem wasn’t lack of knowledge. She’d read more about investing than most people ever will.
Her problem was action deficit.
She’d confused planning with progress. Research with results. Preparation with performance.
The harsh truth: Your perfect plan executed poorly beats a mediocre plan executed consistently.
Rekha’s strategy was simple: – Invest ₹7,000/month – Pick three decent funds – Don’t check daily – Never stop
Was it optimal? No.
Was it working? Yes.
Eight months in, she had ₹58,400. Priya had plans.
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The Cost of “Someday”
Let’s do the math on Priya’s delay.
Scenario 1: Priya Starts “Someday”
She waits another 4 months to hit her “perfect conditions.”
Then invests ₹10,000/month for 10 years.
Result: ₹23.2 lakhs (₹12L invested + ₹11.2L gains)
Scenario 2: Priya Starts Today (Imperfectly)
She starts now with ₹5,000/month (half her “ideal” amount).
Steps it up to ₹10,000/month after 6 months once she’s comfortable.
Result: ₹24.1 lakhs (₹11.7L invested + ₹12.4L gains)
The imperfect start beats the perfect delay by ₹90,000.
Why? Because she got 4 extra months of compounding.
“Someday” costs ₹90,000.
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The Action Habit Principle
Schwartz identified the single trait that separates successful people from everyone else:
“Successful people are action-oriented. They don’t wait for conditions to be perfect. They act now and adjust later.”
Here’s how it plays out in investing:
**Non-Action People:**
– Research mutual funds for 6 months – Create elaborate spreadsheets – Wait for the “right market conditions” – Start when everything is perfect (never)
Result: ₹0 in Year 1
**Action People:**
– Research for 1 week – Pick 2-3 decent funds – Start a ₹3,000/month SIP – Adjust as they learn
Result: ₹38,000 in Year 1 (₹36,000 invested + ₹2,000 gains)
The action person isn’t smarter. They’re just willing to start before they’re ready.
—
The Five Action Blockers (And How to Destroy Them)
Schwartz identified five reasons people don’t act. Here’s how they show up in money:
**Blocker 1: Waiting for Inspiration**
What it sounds like: “I’ll start investing when I feel motivated.” “I need to be in the right headspace first.”
Why it’s deadly: Motivation is unreliable. It comes and goes like the weather.
Discipline is what builds wealth. And discipline doesn’t wait for inspiration.
The Fix: Automate It
Rekha didn’t “feel like” investing on the 1st of every month. Her SIP auto-debited anyway.
Feelings don’t matter when the system takes over.
**Blocker 2: Waiting for “More Information”**
What it sounds like: “I need to research more before I start.” “What if I pick the wrong fund?”
Why it’s deadly: Information is infinite. You’ll never feel like you know “enough.”
Meanwhile, time is passing. Compounding is waiting.
The Fix: Time-Box Your Research
Priya gave herself 7 days to pick three funds. Not 7 months. 7 days.
Day 1-3: Read basic articles Day 4-5: Shortlist 5 funds Day 6-7: Pick 3 and start
Perfect? No. Done? Yes.
**Blocker 3: Waiting for “Better Conditions”**
What it sounds like: “I’ll start once the market corrects.” “I’ll invest more once I get a raise.” “I’ll begin after I clear my loans.”
Why it’s deadly: Conditions are never perfect. There’s always a reason to delay.
The Fix: Start With What You Have
Can’t afford ₹10,000? Start with ₹2,000. Market too high? SIPs work at every level. Have loans? Invest ₹3,000 and pay loans simultaneously.
Imperfect action beats perfect inaction.
**Blocker 4: Fear of Making Mistakes**
What it sounds like: “What if I lose money?” “What if I pick the wrong funds?”
Why it’s deadly: Fear of mistakes guarantees you’ll make the biggest mistake of all: not starting.
The Fix: Accept That Mistakes Are Part of Learning
Rekha picked a fund in Year 1 that underperformed. She switched to a better one in Year 2.
Cost of the mistake: ₹3,000 in lost returns.
Cost of not starting at all: ₹2.5 lakhs over 10 years.
**Blocker 5: “I’ll Do It Tomorrow”**
What it sounds like: “I’ll start next month.” “I’ll set it up this weekend.” “I’ll begin after my bonus comes in.”
Why it’s deadly: Tomorrow never comes. You just keep pushing the deadline.
The Fix: Do It Now (Literally Right Now)
Schwartz’s rule: “When you think of something that should be done, do it immediately.”
Priya read this and opened her banking app mid-article.
Five minutes later, she had a ₹5,000/month SIP running.
Not ₹10,000. Not next month. ₹5,000. Now.
—
The Mechanical Habit That Builds Wealth
Schwartz observed:
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit.”
Wealth isn’t built by one brilliant investment decision. It’s built by one boring, repeated action: investing every single month, no matter what.
Let’s see what mechanical consistency looks like:
**Arjun’s Investing Habit (3 Years)**
Month 1: Invested ₹5,000 (scared, unsure) Month 6: Invested ₹5,000 (still nervous, portfolio down ₹800) Month 12: Invested ₹5,000 (feeling better, up ₹2,400) Month 18: Increased to ₹8,000 (after raise, comfortable now) Month 24: Invested ₹8,000 (market crash, stayed disciplined) Month 30: Increased to ₹10,000 (portfolio: ₹2.8 lakhs) Month 36: Invested ₹10,000 (habit fully formed)
Total after 3 years: ₹3.1 lakhs (₹2.58L invested + ₹52,000 gains)
Notice what’s missing? Drama. Excitement. Big decisions.
It was just: Invest. Repeat. Don’t stop.
That’s the habit that builds fortunes.
—
The 30-Day Action Challenge
Schwartz’s advice:
“Build the action habit by acting immediately on every small task.”
Here’s how to apply it to money:
**Week 1: Start the SIP (Even Small)**
Don’t wait. Don’t research for another month.
Pick one fund. Any decent flexi-cap or index fund will do. Start ₹1,000, ₹2,000, ₹3,000—whatever you can afford.
Done is better than perfect.
**Week 2: Automate Everything**
Set SIP to auto-debit.
Set portfolio review reminder: once a month (not daily).
Remove the decision fatigue. Let the system run.
**Week 3: Increase One Small Thing**
Can’t increase SIP yet? Fine.
Cut one subscription (₹500 saved). Skip two Swiggy orders (₹800 saved). Freelance one weekend (₹2,000 earned).
Small actions compound.
**Week 4: Track and Celebrate**
At the end of the month: – ₹X invested? Celebrate it. – Portfolio up or down? Doesn’t matter. You showed up. That’s the win.
The action is the victory. Results follow later.
—
What Changed for Priya
After starting her ₹5,000/month SIP, Priya expected… drama? Anxiety? Regret?
Instead, nothing happened.
Her life didn’t change. She didn’t feel poorer. The ₹5,000 auto-debited on the 1st, and she forgot about it.
Month 1: Portfolio: ₹5,080 Month 2: Portfolio: ₹10,240 Month 3: Portfolio: ₹15,600
By Month 6, she increased to ₹7,000. By Month 12, to ₹10,000.
Year 1 Portfolio: ₹93,000 (₹84,000 invested + ₹9,000 gains)
She hadn’t become a finance expert. She hadn’t timed the market perfectly.
She’d just built the habit of acting consistently.
—
The Two Types of People
Schwartz splits the world into two:
**Type 1: Thinkers Who Don’t Act**
– Perfect plans – Endless research – Always “preparing” – Net worth: ₹50,000 in savings account after 10 years
**Type 2: Doers Who Adjust as They Go**
– Imperfect starts – Learn by doing – Iterate and improve – Net worth: ₹25 lakhs in investments after 10 years
Both started at the same place. One planned. One did.
The doer is 50x wealthier.
—
The Action Habit in Five Rules
Here’s Schwartz’s action framework, applied to money:
**Rule 1: Don’t Wait for Perfect**
Start now. Adjust later.
**Rule 2: Act on Small Tasks Immediately**
See an article about SIPs? Read it now. Think “I should start investing”? Open the app now. Get paid? Invest first, spend later.
**Rule 3: Build Momentum Through Small Wins**
Invested ₹2,000 this month? Win. Didn’t panic-sell during a dip? Win. Increased SIP by ₹1,000? Win.
Small wins create momentum. Momentum creates habit.
**Rule 4: Mechanical Consistency > Motivated Bursts**
Don’t invest ₹20,000 one month when motivated, then ₹0 for three months.
Invest ₹5,000 every single month, motivated or not.
Boring beats exciting when it comes to wealth.
**Rule 5: Action Cures Fear**
Scared to invest? Invest ₹1,000 and see what happens. Scared of the market? Start a SIP and watch it grow. Scared of losing money? Realize that not acting guarantees you’ll stay poor.
Fear dies when you move forward.
—
The Difference Between Priya and Rekha (One Year Later)
Rekha (Started 20 months ago): – Portfolio: ₹1.68 lakhs – Invested: ₹1.4 lakhs – Gains: ₹28,000 – Habit: Solid. Automatic. Effortless.
Priya (Started 12 months ago after 8 months of “planning”): – Portfolio: ₹93,000 – Invested: ₹84,000 – Gains: ₹9,000 – Habit: Building. Getting easier.
The Cost of Priya’s Delay:
8 months of planning = ₹75,000 less in portfolio.
That’s what “someday” costs.
—
The One Question That Changes Everything
Schwartz’s final insight:
“The difference between success and failure is often just getting started.”
So here’s the question:
What are you waiting for?
More money? Start with less. More knowledge? Learn by doing. Better conditions? They’ll never come.
The only moment you have is now.
₹5,000 today beats ₹50,000 “someday.”
Because “someday” never arrives.
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Next in the series: From Layoff to Lakhpati: How Financial Setbacks Become Stepping Stones
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Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read all scheme-related documents carefully before investing. The author is a SEBI-registered Mutual Fund Distributor (ARN 351164). Past performance is not indicative of future returns.