The first USA World Cup match is this weekend, so I was reminded of a study I read years ago about penalty kicks.
Researchers found that goalkeepers almost always dive left or right.
But statistically?
Goalkeepers would actually stop more shots if they stayed in the center more often.
So why don’t they?
Because if a goalie stands there and the ball flies into the corner…
it looks like he didn’t even try.
Diving “looks” better.
Even if it’s the wrong move.
And honestly, a lot of financial advice works the same way.
Advisors feel pressure to constantly do something.
Trades.
Changes.
Updates.
Adjustments.
“Action.”
Because activity feels productive.
And to make it even worse:
In many parts of the financial industry…movement is profitable.
The more products that get sold…
The more accounts that get moved…
The more changes that get made…
the more money gets generated for the firm.
So now you have two powerful forces working together:
The psychological pressure to “look busy.”
And the financial incentive to move things around.
That combination can lead to a lot of unnecessary activity disguised as strategy.
Because movement and progress are not always the same thing.
Sometimes the best move is patience.
Sometimes the best move is sticking with the plan.
Sometimes the best move is avoiding emotional reactions and unnecessary changes.
That’s real planning.
But reacting just to react?
That’s different.
A lot of people confuse activity with value.
And sometimes the smartest thing you can do…
is stop diving all over the place.
Come see how we are different.
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