FRLN68: Optimizing Your Food for Energy, Why The Stock Market Declines in September, and a Simple Habit to Achieve Your Most Important Goals
Fit Rich Life
Newsletter #68
Tips, Tools & Strategies for your Fitness, Money & Life
Newsletter Archive
“If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal – you have a wish.”
— Steve Maraboli, Speaker & Author
Greetings my friends,
In this Newsletter, we will cover:
- Optimizing your meals for energy and focus
- Understanding the stock market's "September Effect"
- A dead simple practice to achieve your goals
Without further ado, let's proactively build your Fit Rich Life.
This is your dose of actionable tips, tools & strategies to take your Fitness, Money, and Life to the Next Level.
FITNESS: Optimize your food for energy
When it comes to the food you eat pay close attention to your energy levels after you eat.
After your typical weekly meals do you feel satiated and like you have good energy to win the day?
Or do you feel like you need a nap?
Food is fuel for your body.
You want to ensure that the fuel gives you the quality energy that allows you to get into the zone and accomplish your goals.
Too often people prioritize what "tastes good" without paying any attention to how they feel afterward.
Over the next few weeks pay attention to your energy and ability to focus after you eat.
If you feel like you have good energy and focus after your meal or snack then keep eating them.
If you feel lethargic and unfocused stop eating it and replace it with something else.
Keep repeating this process until you identify a set of meals and snacks that give you the energy and focus to crush your goals.
MONEY: Understand the September Effect
The S&P 500 tends to go down in September due to a combination of historical, behavioral, and market-specific factors.
The S&P 500 index has not been in existence for a full 100 years; it was officially introduced in 1957. However, using the data available since its inception and extrapolating back to similar large-cap indices (like the S&P 90) that were used before 1957, we can estimate performance trends over approximately the last century.
From historical data, the S&P 500 (and its predecessor indices) has had negative returns in September roughly 55-60% of the time over the last 100 years. This suggests that September has had negative returns in approximately 55 to 60 out of the last 100 years.
This pattern supports the idea that September is often a weak month for the stock market, although the percentage can vary slightly depending on the exact data set and adjustments made for early years before the S&P 500’s formal tracking.
Here are some of the main reasons:
1. Seasonal Trends: September is historically the worst month for stocks, a phenomenon often referred to as the “September Effect.” Over decades, this pattern has persisted, leading to a general expectation of weaker market performance during this month.
2. Investor Behavior: Investors often reassess their portfolios after the summer, leading to increased selling in September. Fund managers, institutional investors, and individual traders might take profits or reposition their investments, contributing to downward pressure on prices.
3. Tax-Loss Selling: As the fiscal year-end approaches for many mutual funds (often October), fund managers may sell underperforming stocks to lock in losses for tax purposes, which can drive the market lower.
4. Post-Summer Slowdown: Market activity tends to pick up after the quieter summer months. As traders and investors return from vacation, they might react to any negative news that accumulated over the summer, leading to increased volatility and selling.
5. Economic Data Releases: September often includes important economic data releases, such as jobs reports and consumer spending data, which can influence market sentiment. Negative or uncertain economic indicators during this time can exacerbate the seasonal decline.
6. Geopolitical and Policy Concerns: September is also a time when governments and central banks make key policy announcements. Any hints of tighter monetary policy, fiscal changes, or geopolitical tensions can trigger market jitters.
These factors combined make September a challenging month for the S&P 500, although it’s important to remember that past performance does not guarantee future results, and market dynamics can change over time.
As a long-term index investor, I don't care what the stock market does in any given month.
Whenever the market is down I've trained myself to think of it as stocks being on sale.
This means that my weekly or monthly investments lead to me getting more shares for the same amount of money invested versus the weeks or months when the stock market is up.
I have my index fund investments automated so that I invest the same dollar amount every week no matter what the stock market is doing.
The key to success in stock market investing is automating your investments into low-cost index funds and understanding that it's about time in the market, not trying to time the market.
LIFE: Write down your goals & put them up
One of the most powerful things you can do for your life is to write out your goals and put them up somewhere you will see them every day.
The mind is a goal-seeking machine.
It is always working towards solving problems, overcoming challenges, and achieving goals.
Unfortunately, in our current time in history, our mind is being presented with hundreds if not thousands of competing goals every single day.
Our minds are bombarded with goals presented by social media, traditional news media, billboards, bosses, colleagues, friends, and family.
This is why it is paramount to reprogram our minds daily to work our own self-selected goals.
Otherwise, we spend our days, weeks, months, years, and lives working on other people's goals and never get around to achieving the things we truly want to achieve.
TODAY: Take 5-20 minutes to write out specific goals that you want to achieve this year and put them up somewhere you will see them every day.
This could be your bathroom mirror, your fridge, the wall of your office, the backdrop of your computer or smartphone, or any other physical place you will encounter multiple times a day.
I know it seems too simple, but there is massive power in this practice.
Writing out my goal of achieving a $1.5 Million Net Worth and reviewing it daily is how I became wealthy and financially independent.
Studies show that 97% of people DO NOT write down their goals.
It's no wonder why only a tiny percentage of people achieve their authentic self-chosen goals.
Don't be like the average person who lives a life of regret for never going after what they truly wanted.
Write down your goals and put them up.
Do it today.
Closing Thoughts:
What is one thing you can do this coming week to improve your Fitness, Money & Life?
Here are some ideas:
- Optimize your meals for energy & focus
- Automate your investments into index funds
- Write down 3-5 goals and put them up
Remember, making progress is the most reliable way to create happiness & fulfillment in one's life.
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I am sending you all lots of growth energy!
Your Fitness, Money & Life Coach,
Justin David Carl
P.S. Below is my latest Fit Rich Life Podcast (episode 81) with John Henry from Millenial Wealth. John shares his journey of achieving a $1 Million Dollar Net Worth by age 36 with a combination of high-paying jobs (that don't require a college degree) and real estate.
Whenever you're ready, here is how I can help you:
I run a custom-tailored 1-1 & group mastermind coaching program that will empower you to get into fantastic shape, master your money, & live your best life.
Yup, it's a proven Fitness, Money, and Life Coaching Program unlike anything else out there.
You can book a free consultation with me here or just drop me a note on Instagram to find a time to connect.