Are you interested in learning how to start investing or trading in stocks, but don’t know how much time you need to set aside for it?
In this post, we’ll address a common myth about stock investing and trading, break down how much time you actually need to get started, and offer some tips on how to make the most of your investment time.
So whether you’re a busy professional or just starting out, read on to find out more!
“But, I Don’t Have Enough Time To Invest/Trade!”
As a stock investment and trading educator, I do my best to simplify things as much as possible so that my students can take action and start seeing results.
However, no matter how simple I make things sound, there’s always at least one person in every class who says something like:
- “I don’t have enough time to trade/invest.”
- “I’m too busy with work/family/life to trade/invest.”
- “I don’t know how you do it, I could never find the time to trade/invest.”
Do any of these statements sound familiar? If so, then this post is for you!
Don’t buy into the myth of passive income. No income source is truly 100% passive. Even if you’re earning rental income from properties, you’re still actively involved in the screening process of choosing tenants, maintaining the property, and dealing with any issues that may arise.
The same goes for stock investing and trading. It’s true that once you’ve learned how to do it effectively, you can spend as little as 15-30 minutes per day managing your positions. But that doesn’t mean it’s 100% passive.
You still need to actively monitor your stocks, do your research, and make decisions about when to buy or sell. So if you’re telling yourself that you don’t have enough time to invest or trade, then you’re really just saying that you don’t want to make the effort – and that requires a different solution.
Remember Your Why
To me, I believe that investment training is for one ultimate reason and that is to create freedom for yourself as well as your family.
And I don’t know about you but for myself, I’ve always dreamed of being free from a job.
I know for some people, they want to be free from their businesses too. Yes, they get to ‘run’ their own business under their own terms, but in many cases, it’s actually the other way around – their businesses run them instead.
And so when someone tells me “I don’t have time to begin my investing and trading journey”, I remind them why they want to do it in the first place.
“Are you saying you don’t have enough time to make money outside your job or business? To create freedom for yourself as well as your family?“
The truth is, if it was important enough to you, you would find the time to make it happen.
Yes, I understand that jobs and businesses can be very time-consuming, and in many cases, also energy-draining.
But at the end of the day, it’s not a race – many people place pressure on themselves to have to master investing and trading in as little time as possible (most likely a side effect of ‘hustle’ culture).
Instead of focusing on where you want to be and how you’re not already there, focus on incremental improvement.
Even spending as little as 1-2 hours per week to learn the fundamentals is a great start.
Over time, as your knowledge starts to build and you start to gain momentum, you realise you don’t even need that long anymore.
So, How Much Time Do You Really Need To Start Investing/Trading?
I’ve already mentioned so far some rough estimates for how much time you need to invest or trade.
But the thing is, it really depends on your strategy. If you’re a day trader, then you’re likely going to need to spend several hours in front of your computer throughout the day to find and take advantage of opportunities. This is one of the reasons why I don’t day trade. I value my time and freedom too much.
If you’re a swing trader, then you can get away with spending as little as 15-30 minutes per day looking for stocks that are setting up for potential breakout trades.
And if you’re an investor, then you might only need to spend 1-2 hours each week looking for new opportunities, and the rest of the time you can just let your positions ride.
Of course, there’s always going to be exceptions to the rule. But in general, these are pretty accurate time estimates for the average person.
So if you’re still telling yourself that you don’t have enough time to invest or trade, then my question to you is this:
How much time are you willing to invest in order to achieve your financial goals?
If your answer is “not much”, then stock investing and trading might not be the right solution for you. But if you’re willing to make the effort, then I believe you’ll find that it’s more than worth your time.
Case Study: Chandara & Jun
Take for example Chandara Kev and Jun Yu – as an electrical engineer and a pharmacist, this couple has busy careers plus kids to take care of. They also love to travel and didn’t want to sacrifice their holidays, having to constantly keep an eye on the markets.
But luckily, they learned they don’t have to spend tonnes of time to make healthy returns in the stock market. Once they started implementing my system, they realised they could achieve financial freedom (they’re currently getting a 21% return!) in only a few minutes each day.
➜ Relevant Link: Learn more about Chandara and Jun’s story here
This is why I believe our Blueprint program allows our students to create the wealth they want. Not only does it save you the time in making all the mistakes I did when I first began my journey, you can also complete the course at your own pace.
If you’d like to learn what we teach inside our Blueprint program, I’d like to invite you to join me in my free 90-minute online Masterclass. Click here to register for your spot.
Keep Your Eyes On The Prize
Ultimately, the goal for wealth is really to create 3 types of freedom in your life – financial freedom, time freedom, and having more positive / meaningful experiences in your life as well your friends and family.
If you’re truly serious about starting to invest or trade, then you’ll make the time for it.
Don’t ever let this mentality of “I don’t have time to begin my investing and trading journey” hold you back from that.
Terry
