According totheAmerican Heritage Idioms Dictionary, William Camden wasthefirst to recordthesaying, "Theearly bird getstheworm." He included it in his 1605 edition of English proverbs.1Its straightforward meaning is thattheperson who arrives or acts first is more likely to get what he wants.It's been a guiding principle for anyone seeking something that is scarce and is also being sought by others. So, whether you want treasures at an estate sale, a cheap TV on Black Friday, or Taylor Swift tickets, you better show up early.But like any proverb, "Theearly bird getstheworm," has its limitations. Beingthefirst to market with a product does not necessarily mean that you will ownthesegment. Apple's category-dominating iPod came several years after other companies had already introduced MP3 players. And in investing, many "ground floor" opportunities end up losing money.In fact, sometimes it paysnotto betheearly bird.Legendary ventriloquist Edgar Bergen is credited with saying, "Theearly bird getstheworm, butthesecond mouse getsthecheese."2It'stheidea that rushing in to be ahead of everyone else can sometimes spell disaster.Thefirst mouse who comes upon a trap baited with a chunk of cheese sees only an opportunity to gain something he wants.But he's missing important information—information that becomes available onlywhenhe's sprungthetrap. It'sthesecond mouse,theone who doesn't immediately take every opportunity at face value, who benefits fromthefirst mouse's failure.Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett seems to relish his role as second mouse. In a recent shareholders meeting he said, "What gives you opportunities is other people doing dumb things."He added that many investors, some ofthem big, are constantly trying to outsmart each other. Buffett adds that this "game" is focused almost entirely on immediate profit. This short-term focus can end up leaving much more opportunity for those who are in it forthelong run.3"Theworld is overwhelmingly short-term focused," said Buffett. "I mean that it is a world that is made to order for anybody that's trying to think about what you should do that should work over five or ten or twenty years."Thepowerful emotion that drivestheFearOf Missing Out (FOMO) is known as aversion to losing out on something you think you should have been entitled to. It can be difficult to ignore. Butwhenyou realize thatthewormtheearly birds are in such a hurry to get may not be at all whatthey expect,theurge to rush along withthem goes away.As a prudent investor whose goal is not to get rich quick, but rather to grow your wealth prudently, your time horizon is not limited to next week or even next quarter. You are going to want to pursue actions that havethebest chance of resulting in success overthelong-term.Having a diverse strategy andthehelp of a trusted advisor can help you avoidthefutile pursuit of trying to invest inthenext big thing.
Sources:1. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/he-early-bird-catches-the-worm/93tykv/2082973321?h=5P6KhCh67WepJp3kCeifMp8QETrqrD6n4H6M-skRNC82. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/quote-599995/93tyky/2082973321?h=5P6KhCh67WepJp3kCeifMp8QETrqrD6n4H6M-skRNC83. http://go.pardot.com/e/91522/ple-doing-dumb-things-647d371a/93tyl2/2082973321?h=5P6KhCh67WepJp3kCeifMp8QETrqrD6n4H6M-skRNC8Disclosure:The views expressed herein are exclusively those of Efficient Advisors, LLC (‘EA’), and are not meant as investment advice and are subject to change. All charts and graphs are presented for informational and analytical purposes only. No chart or graph is intended to be used as a guide to investing. EA portfolios may contain specific securities that have been mentioned herein. EA makes no claim as to the suitability of these securities. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. Information contained herein is derived from sources we believe to be reliable, however, we do not represent that this information is complete or accurate and it should not be relied upon as such. All opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice. This information is prepared for general information only. It does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person who may receive this report. You should seek financial advice regarding the appropriateness of investing in any security or investment strategy discussed or recommended in this report and should understand that statements regarding future prospects may not be realized. You should note that security values may fluctuate and that each security’s price or value may rise or fall. Accordingly, investors may receive back less than originally invested. Investing in any security involves certain systematic risks including, but not limited to, market risk, interest-rate risk, inflation risk, and event risk. These risks are in addition to any unsystematic risks associated with particular investment styles or strategies.