Every year I ask myself the same question:
What did I do right, and what did I do painfully wrong – from an investing perspective?
I sit down, review my trades, and try to extract the right conclusions.
My main goal is simple: to understand whether I am becoming a better investor.
I strongly believe this is the only real way to improve – through reflection, learning from mistakes, and building a better strategy for the future. In truth, this applies to many areas of life, but in this post we will focus on investing.
So let’s take a calm walk through the past year and see what it tried to teach me.
📉 Overall Performance and an Honest Feeling
Before diving into specific lessons, I want to describe how I truly feel about my results.
I am not satisfied.
Yes, my overall capital is still at a reasonable gain. My main portfolio grew roughly 12–13% in 2025, while the public portfolio we follow together on the blog finished around 0%. At the same time, the S&P 500 delivered roughly 16%. Even if the exact number differs slightly, the conclusion is clear:
My performance lagged the market.
This naturally raises a difficult question:
Was it worth selecting individual stocks instead of simply buying the index?
For now, my answer remains yes.
Part of it is emotional – I like owning real businesses, not just an index.
Another part is structural – I have growing concerns about the high concentration inside the S&P 500 and the heavy weight of a few dominant names.
That said, 2025 made me more humble.
Beating the market is difficult – and last year, I certainly did not do it.
📊 Stock Selection: Surprisingly Good, Yet Mediocre Results
Looking back, something interesting appears.
Many of my individual stock selections were actually good:
ACM Research (ACMR), First Solar (FSLR), Merck (MRK), PVA TePla (TPE), SoFi (SOFI), Clear Secure (YOU), Samsung (SSUN), Baidu (BIDU).
Of course, there were also clear mistakes:
FMC (FMC), Nike (NKE), Kraft Heinz (KHC).
But overall, successful picks outweighed the bad ones.
Which leads to the real mystery:
How can mostly good selections still produce mediocre performance?
This question occupied my thoughts for days. Eventually, I reached a painful but honest conclusion.
⚠️ The Core Mistake: Investing Like an Investor, Selling Like a Trader
My main realization can be summarized simply:
I bought stocks like an investor – and sold them like a trader.
Selection followed Benjamin Graham–style value thinking. Selling, however, relied heavily on technical signals and timing attempts.
And timing exits is extremely difficult.
The example of ACM Research says everything:
- Bought: $19.50 (May 2025)
- Sold: $42 (October 2025) because RSI suggested “overbought”
- Current price while writing: ~$65, with a 52-week high near $71
The missed upside is obvious.
Why did this happen? My reflection points to two deeper psychological causes.
😨 Lesson One: Fear in Both Directions
The first cause is fear. Not only fear of losses – but also fear of losing existing gains.
In my country there is a saying:
“If you are afraid of bears, don’t walk in the forest.”
In investing terms:
If fear dominates, perhaps you should not invest at all.
I realized this fear is linked to scarcity thinking – a lifelong instinct to protect what I already have. But survival thinking rarely leads to strong returns.
Only now do I feel I truly understand the classic advice:
Invest money you will not need soon and can emotionally afford to risk.
Maybe this time the lesson will stay.
🧠 Lesson Two: The Hidden Psychological Pressure of the Blog
The second factor is more subtle. The blog helps me think clearly and reflect better. But it also created pressure to show results. Like many people online, I felt the urge to prove that I was doing well.
Returning to ACMR:
Was RSI really the reason I sold – or the desire to demonstrate success?
I cannot know for sure. But either way, the behavior points to the same truth:
I chased short-term validation instead of long-term returns.
🔄 Rethinking Priorities
For a moment, I even considered closing the blog. I decided against it. The real solution is simpler:
Investing must come before the hobby of writing about it.
In 2026, my goal is not to prove results publicly, but to achieve results privately – and impress myself first.
This may mean fewer posts about trades, but hopefully more meaningful content.
Quality over quantity.
⏳ Time, Analysis and the Cost of Busyness
Another important realization involves time. Between July and November, work became extremely demanding. Deep analysis almost disappeared – yet I kept buying individual stocks monthly. That likely hurt performance.
A new rule emerges:
If I do not have time for proper analysis, I should not buy individual stocks.
If I still want to invest regularly, ETFs are far more suitable for DCA.
Simple. Logical.
Yet I failed to follow it.
🧭 Key Lessons From 2025
Summarized simply, I must:
- Work on my fear
- Set correct priorities
- Always do proper research
I hope next year I will not repeat the same mistakes.
Though investing will surely find new ways to challenge me.
And maybe that endless learning is exactly why I love it.
📈 Expectations for 2026
Going forward, I expect to behave more like an investor and less like a trader.
In other words – slightly more passive.
I believe that Warren Buffett famously suggested:
“When there is nothing to do, do nothing.”
That idea feels increasingly wise.
I also see room to optimize the portfolio structure and focus more on quality dividend income.
Changes will come – and I will share them when they do.
🎯 Final Thoughts
I wish you as few mistakes as possible in your own decisions. And when mistakes do happen, may they bring the knowledge needed to grow.
If this reflection resonated with you, I would be grateful if you subscribed and shared the lessons you learned this year.
Wishing you successful investing, meaningful lessons, and many thoughtful decisions ahead.
See you soon.
Keywords: investment retrospective, investing mistakes 2025, portfolio lessons, investor psychology, long-term investing strategy, learning from losses
Disclaimer:
I am not a financial or investment advisor. The content of this post represents my personal views and is purely informational. It should not be taken as financial or investing advice. Please do your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Disclaimer on the use of AI: Some of the information may be generated by using AI. Always double check the information and do your own research.
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