The Stories Of These 6 Marathoners Will Change The Way You Look At Life And Your Investments

“Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it.”

~ Oprah Winfrey

Life, with all its ups and downs, risks and rewards, and its sheer size, can never be a sprint. It is, in fact, much more akin to a marathon, one that tests your limits just when you’re about to give up and demands utmost perseverance. Training for the long run can put you in a state of mind that convinces you that anything is possible as long as you want it to be. And that, is what makes both running a marathon, and living your life, worth it.

Now what if I told you that investing in Mutual Funds was pretty much like running a marathon? You’d think I was being a little too philosophical in making such a far-fetched connection, right? But hear me out, because I’ve got the life stories of six marathoners to support my argument.

And I have a strong feeling that once we’re done, you’ll agree with me too. So then, shall we run?

1. The importance of an early start

Time is a crucial asset to have on your side. Just ask Aman Mehla, who began training to be a marathoner when he was only 13. At 18 now, he has already completed a 25k. But can you imagine how much he could accomplish in, say, another five years of training? He could even aim to represent India, maybe! All because of the boost his early start gave him.

Now ask yourself, wouldn’t you want your investments to also get a head-start? So then, why not start investing in Mutual Funds as early as you can? By starting early, you can benefit from the power of compounding and can get closer to your financial goals. The biggest advantage that you can have is to have time on your side!

2. Define your goals

Tara Kapur’s life seemed to be going nowhere; until she set a goal for herself: finishing a 50k run. And this goal, a finish line that she could focus on, has helped her live her life better.

Tara’s story highlights the importance of setting a goal for yourselves, whether you’re training for a marathon, or investing your money into Mutual Funds. Your financial goals will give your investments a step in the right direction, help with optimum allocation of your assets and let you take appropriate risks in line with your return expectations. Just keep that finish line in sight!

3. Be resilient

Failure can have a weird sense of finality in it. But marathoner Nihad Panju did not let any shortcomings or lows in his life get the better of him. He endured, and his resilience has made all the difference today.

Nihad’s tale of resilience is worth taking a cue from when you’re investing. The market is not without its highs and lows. And often, it is easy to stand by your
investments when the market is on the rise. But market lows can be tricky to navigate, and that is when you must push the hardest. Be resilient, and your investments will endure. For the lows should only propel you to go further!

4. Step up your game

For some people like Prachi Makwana, good was never good enough. She strove to always up the ante, and challenge herself at every level of her training by setting a new target to achieve. Because if you want to aim big, you’ve got to step up your game, right?

Similarly, your investments also need to keep stepping up with the changing times. With growing income levels, expenses also keep going up. Unfortunately, we make the mistake of keeping our investments constant and run the risk of falling short of our long term goals. So the right thing to do is to keep increasing or stepping-up your investments also as your income levels grow.

5. It’s never too late to begin

It’s amazing, this paradox of life that tells you ‘life’s short; start early’, but at the same time assures you that ‘it’s never too late to begin’. Manmohan Talwar was bitten by the marathon bug a little late in life, at 57. But once he found his beginning, there was no stopping him from catching up with his younger counterparts, even at 65!

So what if you never got the early start with your investments? The best time to plant a tree was 20 years back, but the second best time is NOW. What matters is getting a start and then seeing it through. Because once you are able to get closer to your financial goals, when or how you started will cease to matter! After all, it’s never too late to be what you might have been!

6. The right guidance is everything

The importance of a good coach in the life of an athlete can never be undermined. For hundreds of marathoners training with Mumbai Runners, Deepak Oberoi is that one guiding light. He understands the relevance of each of the above qualities, embodies them himself and passes them on to his trainees.

Guidance is key in your investments too. You may or may not know everything about investing. Which is why, its important to have a financial adviser or mutual fund distributor who can guide you in your investment journey. This expert can suggest the right funds to invest in, help you invest according to your risk-return expectations, and can monitor the progress of your investments.

I believe you see it now, the vein of similarity in running a marathon and investing, made more prominent with this video.

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Tell us here which of these six stories you liked the most and why, and stand a chance to win an iPhone 8 & other exciting prizes*.

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So, do I have you convinced? If not to run a marathon, to at least invest in Mutual Funds keeping these six commandments in mind?

Well, then? What are you waiting for? On your mark, get, set, and invest!

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An investor education & awareness initiative by Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund.
Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

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