Keeping an Eye on the Path & Finding New Directions

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. . ." - Robert Frost

Last year I had the chance to take a brief retreat in the woods of Southeastern Minnesota. It was a weekend spent in a rustic cabin in a state park and on hiking trails with fall color & early-season snow flurries. That experience in 2019 helped prepare me for the experience of 2020.

As I was hiking along the bluffs surrounding the Whitewater River and trying to stay on the trail, the path would meander among the hardwood trees and falling leaves. At times it would seem to disappear altogether.  As long as I kept a sense of where it was heading, I was generally okay. If got distracted by the detail of individual leaves in the path or ferns along the edge, the way forward would become less clear.

We all have times when staying on a path can be a challenge. The way forward can be obscured or blocked or the one path can become two paths and a decision is forced. When we keep a sense of the direction, we can enjoy the details. If we lose our way, the details become noisy distractions. At times we can find the blazes that mark the way forward. Other times we need to pause, re-orient, and re-start.

In life, as in investing, the question is not whether we find ourselves at times off in the brambles (we all will). It's whether we persist in the wrong direction and how quickly we learn from our experiences. These are the times with the greatest opportunity for growth.

Its been a challenging year when it comes to the market & the economy. As we come to its end, we can take stock of the lessons learned. For some, its a story of holding on despite gut-wrenching volatility. For others its about adapting to new realities and following new leadership. For me it has been about tuning out the noise and staying focused on what really matters. About staying in rhythm with the path even when the terrain is rocky. About being stubborn enough to keep going and yet flexible enough to pause when prudent.

On a personal level its been about changing directions, finding a new path amidst uncertainty, and being thankful when the way forward becomes obvious. More on that in the weeks ahead. Until then, happy trails.