We do our best to exercise and watch what we eat.

But how about the news we digest?

Regarding investing, if you were asked to describe what could happen in the next five to 10 years, how would you answer?

The answer likely is closely related to the investment stories you watch and read:

Five reasons the market has risen too far.

Coronavirus could wipe out trillions of dollars.

Unemployment rate down.

Sadly, the last of those three imaginary but realistic headlines either gets skipped or can make the reader think, Yeah, but its still horrible.

Progress is gradual, incremental and rarely dramatic.

It just doesnt sell.

Bad news grabs us in an instant and pushes all else aside.

Scary news triggers the fear of the proverbial lion hiding in the grass that our ancestors imprinted on the DNA they passed on down to us.

But instead of lions, we worry about our financial security.

Could I lose my job? Could my savings evaporate? Could the stock market go down and stay down?

Its healthy to keep an eye on downside risks in life, but I think some of us spend far too much time worrying about what could go wrong.

If you spend most of your time thinking about potential bad outcomes, it becomes easier to believe that it not just may happen, but that it will happen.

Some people sold all their stocks after 9/11, or during the recent corona crash. They lost faith and got out; they worried things would never get better.

Its fair to guess they watched a lot of news about things being bad, and how it could get worse still. Better sell stocks.

All this worrying, in my opinion, warps our view of the future.

So what can we do to counter this understandable fear and negativity bias?

I think we need to train ourselves to look for good news. Itll give us a more complete picture of the world.

When you see a positive story, read it or watch it. Let it sink in.

When you see a negative story, consider skipping it.

This sounds simple. Maybe even a little silly. But I think its important. Sadly, you may have to do a little digging to find the good news.

If you did so over the past 10 years, youd see a story about a treatment that allows most people to get rid of hepatitis C.

Or that you now can get a vaccine against shingles.

Or that hundreds of millions of people are no longer dirt poor.

Or that most cellphones come with a GPS and map so you can find your way around anywhere. Order a cab, even.

All right; what does all this have to do with money and investing? A lot.

When you invest for the long term, you invest for what lies years ahead.

Above, I mentioned just a few recent advances.

Do you think these kinds of advances will stop or continue? I believe its much more likely progress will accelerate.

In the end, be careful when you take in news. It can quickly scare you into thinking the future is bleak.

Good luck.

Jorgen Vik is a certified financial planner and partner with SKV Group LLC.

Link:

Jorgen Vik: Progress may not sell, but it pays off in the long run - The Daily Progress