One of the most common reasons people give as an excuse to not invest is fear of market fluctuations. And that is a valid fear. No one wants to lose money. But, as Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “The only constant is change.” 

It’s the same with investments. While “market volatility” sounds intimidating, it really just means the market can move up and down, so don’t get caught up in the crazy up- and down-swings! Historically, everytime the market goes down it’s followed by an upswing.

So here are some steps you can follow when the numbers start to seem scary: 

• Take a deep breath.
  The first step to battle fear is to combat it with knowledge, and you already have that part down! You know that the market will go up and down, so when you hear something that makes you anxious, try to ground yourself with some deep breathing, take a walk outside, and make your favorite snack or comfort food.
  
• Hit ‘Pause’ on emotional...

The biggest fear that many young people face is the fear of failure. And while this can be natural among most people, it can end up being debilitating. Fear of failure will inhibit you to not take action or reasonable risk to reach your goals and dreams.

For some reason, we have believed that failure is bad. When in reality, when we fail at something it means we took action to try to achieve something. And that's good. Not bad.

When we decide not to try something (ie...learning how to play the piano, start an online business, etc) we have actually failed. That's the only failure there is. Period.

So, as you head into the New Year, don't let fear of failure impede you from taking a risk to help you get to where you want to go. Simple as that.

Remember, you have what it takes to live a life that fits your dreams.

- Todd

P.S. Don't forget you can receive a $25 bonus by opening up a new investment account with Acorns here.