Happy Friday!
As we’re in the midst of earnings season and the microcap market is picking up steam, I haven’t had much time to write this week (or the last few weeks, for that matter).
It’s been quite a challenge lately to strike the right balance between working, writing for the newsletter, spending time with my family (I have two young children) and training for ultramarathons.
I find that I do my best work when I create space to think and learn. It becomes harder to see the bigger picture if I’m constantly executing tasks and checking things off my to-do list. Building some slack into my schedule allows me to adapt and let my mind go where I can create the most value in that moment. Examples could be researching a new opportunity, accepting to speak at an event, writing about a trend in the market, connecting with new people, etc.
One of my favourite books is Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The book taught me a lot about protecting my time and saying no to mediocre opportunities. Instead of trying to fit more into my schedule, I now ask myself: What can I remove? This decluttering exercise provides the space to double down on the few things that really matter.
The problem with this approach is that as you become efficient at removing and saying no, slack develops in your system (which is desirable). It also makes it tempting to start adding more to fill the void. Starting the newsletter was probably one of those endeavours for me. I love writing, though. I guess I just need to find ways to get the system back into equilibrium (fortunately, I always love a good challenge!).
Don’t worry; this newsletter is not going away. I really appreciate all the positive feedback I’ve received so far. And quite frankly, the microcap market needs more people writing and talking about it!
Enough with the rambling now. I didn’t want to spend a week without writing, so I figured I’d just share some quick thoughts that I hope you’ll find valuable.
As we head into the weekend, I encourage you to reflect on your day-to-day life and what makes you tick. I love the following quote:
It is the things that occur every single day that truly make up our lives, and time spent the same way over and again adds up at an alarming rate.
- Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life
If you feel overwhelmed by work or life in general, I highly recommend picking up Essentialism.
Figure out what you want to go big on, and forget everything else.
That’s the way of the essentialist.
Have a great weekend!
Disclaimer
This publication is for informational purposes only. Nothing produced under the Stocks & Stones brand should be construed as investment advice or recommendations. Mathieu Martin, the author, is employed as a Portfolio Manager with Rivemont Investments. This publication only represents Mathieu Martin’s own opinions and not those of Rivemont.
If you’d like to invest in small public companies, check out this post.
Reminds me of the book Subtract. Rather than add something to a system, take things away that don't add value. Similar to the fixation on removing waste like Toyota did in LEAN manufacturing.
Looking forward to more posts.