The weather can make you crazy in southern Ohio. You look at the forecast and try to make plans accordingly, but there’s just no relying on it.
I recently had big plans to cycle a significant number of miles in a week. I’m in training for several Century rides that I intend to complete over the summer. Knowing that I’ll be riding 100 or more miles every 4 weeks means no slacking. You have to keep getting out there and riding. Lots of riding. But riding in wet conditions is not my favorite thing to do. As a matter of fact, I prefer to never ride in the rain. So, I check the forecast and plan to ride when the weather looks good.
I frequently go out for longer rides with a cycling couple that are good friends of mine. We check the weekend forecast and plan our 60-70 mile rides on the day that looks like the best day to be out on the roads, and in the weather for the 5-6 hours it takes to complete those miles (taking lunch and rest stops into account). One Sunday, just a few weeks ago, the forecast called for ZERO percent chance of rain. A perfect day to go out and get those miles in! But, on my way to their house, the sky did not look as though it was going to keep its 0% promise. The clouds were dark and heavy and the sky was gray. We mounted our bikes thinking this must just be a passing cloud, after all the weather report was still at 0% percent chance of rain.
As soon as we rode down their street we could feel the sprinkles hitting our faces…but we kept going, after all the forecast said 0% chance of rain, right? Within 5 minutes the rain was falling, we were on a step downhill decent, and the rain was coming down harder and harder. It was very difficult to even see…a dangerous situation. As soon as we got to the bottom, we had to take cover and wait it out. We didn’t have a choice. But in the mean time we were soaked to the bone, cold, and very uncomfortable. Now, just an hour later the sun came out and we had a great day! We covered 73 miles and felt exhilarated by our achievement!
Can you imagine how that may compare to your investments? No matter how much you check and plan, there are just things that happen which cannot be foreseen. With the help of your financial advisor, you can make sure that you set a plan for when you get rained on. Take shelter for a bit until you feel more certain that the sun will come out again.