I've been a fan of these little trees for a while now, eking out their miniature existence in one of those beautiful glazed pots. They are simply wonderful to look at and, in my opinion, have a very positive impact on their surroundings.
But more than that, they can be a direct symbol of your financial success, or success in general.
Because...
Nothing happens overnight
Bonsai is a symbol of patience. From the planting of a seed to a magnificent bonsai tree, many years pass. In the art of bonsai, it takes a long time to plan how a tree should be later and then painstakingly hand-cultivated and shaped over many years until it is eventually what you imagine a magnificent specimen of a bonsai.
Here we have the first bridge to financial success. Again, nothing happens overnight. At the beginning a basis must be created. Those who have not yet had much to do with financial topics will first have to read up thoroughly at the beginning in order to create a basis for a long-term perspective. Then, at some point the decision is made, one has a first idea or even a plan for achieving financial success and makes the first investment.
But now the whole thing really begins.
Daily greets the groundhog
Because just because you planted a seed, you don't have a tree the next day. You must constantly care for the bonsai, nurturing it and making sure it thrives within its environmental conditions. In doing so, the bonsai requires water almost daily due to the low water holding capacity of the small root system and the pot. But not too much and not too little. Consistency is the word I find most apt here.
The same goes for your investment plans. You have to deal with them permanently and steadily, and similar to the tree, invest time regularly to maintain your planning and deal with the long-term chances of success of your shoot. Consistency is key here, so as not to be carried away too much by emotions or tempted by wrong decisions. If you constantly deal with the market in which you are active, you know it and can get an overview over a longer period of time. This is how you avoid traps such as Fomo.
Consistent shaping
Such a bonsai does not grow as a bonsai at all, but as a tree. For those who don't know: Bonsai translates roughly to "tree in a pot." In fact, this tree in a pot has some features that are characteristic of it, but these features are not initially present. The bonsai becomes a work of art by being shaped into it. You have a vision of what the tree might look like one day and you wire, prune and bend it every year to get it piece by piece to the point you want it to be.
We have the same scenario when we look at our finances. We have laid a foundation, but it is not enough to be successful in the long run. This only works if we deal with the actual situation piece by piece and make a comparison with our goal. Along the way, we must constantly work on our planning and, if possible, optimize or even completely revise it.
Observe and adjust to change
A product of nature does many things, but often does not behave as we would like it to. Nature is peculiar and so it happens that things or even trees can change quickly. Some bonsai species are very sensitive and can die completely within a few days. That's why it is important to observe the tree and recognize possible changes early on in order to be able to react accordingly.
This is no different in financial markets. Especially in 2020, they are anything but constant. Markets and our environment in general are changing much faster nowadays than they did a few decades ago. The world has become faster and it has become all the more important to perceive the change that is happening around you and to adapt yourself. So it is in the financial sense as well - you have to be alert and ready to rethink your beliefs of yesterday and take into account coming changes in your own plans.
A never ending project
There are bonsai trees that have been cared for over many generations, reaching an age of over 1000 years. A period of time that exceeds any human life many times over. And these trees are still alive. They know no natural end, as long as the environmental conditions allow it. But even these old trees need regular care. Without consistency in care, even these 1000 year old trees would deteriorate and die. That is why it is the custom in Asian families to pass on the art of bonsai to the next generation at an early age.
Also, your own financial planning never ends, at least not if there is someone to whom you bequeath your finances. For example, many people plan to bequeath their belongings to their children after they pass away. In this case, taking care of your own financial planning will never end. It will be passed on to the children so that, in the best case scenario, they can take care of it and continue what their parents started with.
This was my little story on this perhaps unusual comparison. I think in general that bonsai is a very nice way to illustrate a relationship. In this post, just the relationship to one's financial success.
I wish you all consistent and long-term success and hope you enjoyed this post.
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