Swimming Your Way to Financial Success

Summer is off to a hot start here in Raleigh and I have been spending some time at the pool to keep cool.  While I like to lounge in the water now, as a past swimmer, I find myself watching those around me swim, from beginners to advanced.  While doing so, I can’t help but think of the parallels between swimming and financial success.  The principles of efficiency, consistency, and composure bind them together. In both swimming and investing, it’s not about how hard you work, but how smartly you move forward.

· Efficiency: Efficient swimmers don’t just thrash around trying to move fast. They perfect their technique, streamline their strokes, and minimize wasted energy. The key to progress in the pool is using deliberate movements, controlling your breathing, and letting the water work with you, not against you.

Investing is similar. Many people equate good investing with constant action—buying, selling, chasing the next big trend. But often, the best investors take a steady, disciplined approach. They diversify, minimize fees, and avoid emotional decisions. Like in swimming, success comes from reducing drag—reducing costs and taxes that slow financial progress.

· Consistency: Both activities reward consistency. A swimmer improves over time by showing up regularly and refining technique, not by sprinting every lap. Likewise, building wealth doesn’t require finding the “perfect” stock—it requires regular contributions, patience, and a long-term mindset.

· Composure: Finally, both disciplines emphasize staying calm under pressure. A panicked swimmer wastes energy and risks injury; a panicked investor may sell in a downturn, locking in losses. In both cases, composure is a competitive advantage.

Whether you’re in the pool or in the market, success doesn’t come from flailing harder—it comes from moving smarter. Efficiency in motion, whether through water or wealth, allows you to go farther with less effort. Swim wisely, invest wisely, and let steady momentum carry you to your goals.

While we are probably not your best option to coach swimming, we have spent our careers coaching clients in these financial principles.  As always, Beacon is here for you for any questions or comments you have.  Enjoy the pool!