The Turtle race: My Investment Journey - 2025-02-11

"Wait for me!" I said to myself, smiling. I was starting my investing again, and this time, I was going to race against the turtle – slow and steady. It was my own little joke.

That's the spirit of my investment journey, a marathon, not a sprint. It started in 2012 with a simple 20-year plan. The goal? A 7% annual return on a SG$20,000 yearly investment. As to give myself a buffer, I aimed for a 30% discount to the 10% ultimate target, achievable through dividends from REITs and stocks. My starting point was SG$29,420.85.

Years	Target Investment	Yearly Return	Est. End Year Value	Target Profit	Accumulated capital	Accumulated profit
2012	$49,420.85	7%	$52,880.31	$3,459.46	$49,420.85	$3,459.46
2013	$72,880.31	7%	$77,981.93	$5,101.62	$69,420.85	$8,561.08
2014	$97,981.93	7%	$104,840.67	$6,858.74	$89,420.85	$15,419.82
2015	$124,840.67	7%	$133,579.51	$8,738.85	$109,420.85	$24,158.66
2016	$153,579.51	7%	$164,330.08	$10,750.57	$129,420.85	$34,909.23
2017	$184,330.08	7%	$197,233.18	$12,903.11	$149,420.85	$47,812.33
2018	$217,233.18	7%	$232,439.51	$15,206.32	$169,420.85	$63,018.66
2019	$252,439.51	7%	$270,110.27	$17,670.77	$189,420.85	$80,689.42
2020	$290,110.27	7%	$310,417.99	$20,307.72	$209,420.85	$100,997.14
2021	$330,417.99	7%	$353,547.25	$23,129.26	$229,420.85	$124,126.40
2022	$373,547.25	7%	$399,695.56	$26,148.31	$249,420.85	$150,274.71
2023	$419,695.56	7%	$449,074.25	$29,378.69	$269,420.85	$179,653.40
2024	$469,074.25	7%	$501,909.45	$32,835.20	$289,420.85	$212,488.60
2025	$521,909.45	7%	$558,443.11	$36,533.66	$309,420.85	$249,022.26
2026	$578,443.11	7%	$618,934.12	$40,491.02	$329,420.85	$289,513.27
2027	$638,934.12	7%	$683,659.51	$44,725.39	$349,420.85	$334,238.66
2028	$703,659.51	7%	$752,915.68	$49,256.17	$369,420.85	$383,494.83
2029	$772,915.68	7%	$827,019.78	$54,104.10	$389,420.85	$437,598.93
2030	$847,019.78	7%	$906,311.16	$59,291.38	$409,420.85	$496,890.31
2031	$926,311.16	7%	$991,152.94	$64,841.78	$429,420.85	$561,732.09

This plan served two purposes. First, it kept me investing consistently, even when life threw curveballs (and there were years I couldn't hit the S$ 20,000 mark). As my income grew, I often surpassed that amount in some years. Second, it acted as my North Star, guiding me through thick and thin. Whenever I faced challenges, I'd revisit my plan, recalibrate, and get back on track. I was racing the turtle, slow and steady.

Then, something extraordinary happened. I was watching a movie and a particular turtle caught my eye – the loggerhead. These incredible creatures swim staggering distances. I learned about one loggerhead that swam 14,500 km in just 368 days! Her name is Adelita, journeyed all the way from Mexico to Japan! It blew my mind. The rabbit couldn't even dream of such a feat.

This revelation changed my perspective. It's hard to believe animals can travel such distances. But it made me realize something crucial: small, consistent steps accumulate into something truly massive. It reminded me of Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett. They didn't set out with specific targets in their early days. They just kept investing, and the long runway of time propelled them to incredible heights.

My investment journey still has seven years to go, according to my initial 20-year plan. But honestly, that final year isn't my focus anymore. I know I'll reach my destination, maybe a little later than planned, but that's okay. The real treasure has been the journey itself. I've learned that investing requires time, effort and focus on a company's quality, and the more I learn, the better the returns. Even though my original plan was to stop at 20 years, I'll keep investing as long as I can. It's exciting to see how far this turtle race can take me!

My advice to you as my kids: create your own investment journey. Keep learning, and don't be afraid to adjust your targets as you gain experience. Just like the loggerhead, you might surprise yourself with how far you can go in the investment journey, best is to continue to 99 years old like Charlie Munger did!.

Why?

Why dedicate two decades to a single financial plan? Because the payoff is irresistible: passive income. Imagine, year after year, money flowing in without lifting a finger. That's the dream. My plan aims to achieve this by 2031. After that, even if I never contribute another cent, I can theoretically spend $64,000 annually – that's $5,400 every single month.

This isn't about chasing quick riches; it's about leveraging brainpower over backbreaking labor. Even divine wisdom suggests this is the smarter path. Leaders are chosen for their wisdom, not their warrior strength. Warriors peak physically and decline with age, but wisdom only grows sharper over time. As I approach retirement, I want to be relying on my accumulated knowledge, not my dwindling physical strength.

But not everyone gets it. When I shared this plan with a friend, he scoffed. "Too slow," he said. He's all about the hustle of business, the potential for rapid wealth. My carefully crafted, long-term strategy held little appeal. He couldn't see the value, even when I emphasized the continuity – the fact that this income stream could continue for generations. If I'm gone tomorrow, my kids, and even their kids, could still benefit from that $64,000 a year.

It's a reminder that not all good things resonate with everyone. Just like the gospel, some ideas, even those with profound long-term benefits, are simply unappealing to those focused on immediate gratification. Not everyone is willing to embrace the power of slow, steady wealth accumulation, the kind of wealth that can last for generations. They're chasing the quick buck, the fleeting fortune, rather than building a legacy. And that's okay. This plan isn't for everyone. It's for me, and for the future I'm building.