Investor Mindset - Value #9 Seasons, Part 1

<p>There is a season for everything under the sun according to Ecclesiastes 3 - understanding these specific seasons help us measure the implications of each season on us as the investor and the markets that we are investing in.  This marriage of observation and execution is what makes our decision making process so complex when deciding what market is past its prime, what is ripe and what ground needs cultivating.  Having said that, in our worldview as followers of Jesus, Mike and I believe that God allows us to wade in the waters of investing and do it successfully with God escorting us through Evaluation and Execution.</p><p><strong>We like to keep the evaluation simple and divide our thoughts between answering these questions:</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong>A) What season are you in?  What is the weight of the following categories on your decision making process:</strong></p><p><strong>1.  Mental </strong>-  This centers around current output and margin - <br />How am I doing with my mental margin?  Am I mentally maxxed out or fatigued by work or life at home or , in this day and age, the weight of social media?</p><p><strong>2.  Emotional</strong> - this centers around your EQ - how are my relationships?  Am I able to offload stress?  do I have the right support to make sound decisions?</p><p><strong>3.  Physical</strong> - Am I exercising and eating right for my age category?  Am I moving appropriately to retain flexibility and range?</p><p><strong>4.  Spiritual </strong>- Am I connecting with God and hearing His voice to better understand myself, my environment and His will for me.</p><p><strong>5a.  Cash/ Budget </strong> -  the answers to the questions above will provide a good barometer of readiness for the markets but this barometer will be the best marker of readiness as all of the above answers directly affect how you see your basic household numbers.</p><ul><li>What is your monthly cashflow?</li><li>Have you made a budget and are you sticking to it?</li><li>Have you started your safety plan educatio