All of you would have heard “invest for the long term” hundreds of times from your financial professional. If you haven’t, I would be surprised and would love to know who this specialist is.

On the other hand, John Maynard Keynes said, “In the long run, we are all dead.” American politician Claude Pepper is credited to have said “A stockbroker urged me to buy a stock that would triple its value every year. I told him, “At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas anymore.””

Does this mean long term has no value?

On the contrary, the magic of compounding only works in the long term. There is no other shortcut.

Author James Clear wrote, “Most big, deeply satisfying accomplishments in life take at least five years to achieve. This can include building a business, cultivating a loving relationship, writing a book, getting in the best shape of your life, and more.

Five years is a long time. It is much slower than most of us would like. If you accept the reality of slow progress, you have every reason to take action today. If you resist the reality of slow progress, five years from now you will simply be five years older and still looking for a shortcut.”

Compounding (with a diversified portfolio of companies) is slow first and takes around 20 years to show its power. If you accept its reality, you have every reason to take action today- start investing, invest more or continue investing.

Do you accept the reality of slow progress?