Mind over matter and don’t think of the sharks

Abraham van der Westhuysen, Advisory Partner at Citadel.

It was Charles Darwin who said that it’s not the most intelligent of the species that survive but those who are the most adaptable to change.

In 2007 I decided to swim from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand. I had never had any swimming training and did not really understand what I was in for. However, I was convinced I could do this and started training furiously at the local indoor swimming pool.

Duly prepared, or so I thought, I arrived at my first open-water race in Bloubergstrand full of enthusiasm thinking the 2.3km ahead would be a breeze. I was in for quite a surprise. It took me 10 minutes from after the starting gun going off just to convince my brain to keep my face in the cold 11° water.

After this race, I realised that physical preparation was not enough; I also needed to be mentally honed and toned. Only with the right mental preparation are you able to adapt quickly to the changing physical environment, like encountering a 4m swell or a 40km/h wind. This was a reality which I was quick to understand in the context of my day job; where my role as a financial guide necessitates that I am able to steer a course through market turbulence and changing political and social dynamics.

Let me give you an example. While I had all the relevant and necessary degrees and qualifications, when the market hit rock bottom in March 2009, there was nothing I had learnt in a textbook that could have prepared me for this. Experience and a sound investment philosophy, however, stood me in good stead and confirmed for me that you simply have to keep emotion out of investing. You also have to look beyond the crisis for the inevitable opportunities created by such events.

The last 16 years at Citadel have certainly strengthened these muscles and, during this time, I have been privileged to spend a significant amount of time with investment, tax and fiduciary experts on a daily basis. I have learnt things I could not have gleaned from any textbook; for me, these insights are equivalent to that first plunge into the cold Atlantic: they linger, shaping your thinking and how you manage challenges.

Shifting back to the ocean; from my first punishing race onwards, I started showering in cold water every morning, I only trained in cold water pools and I tried to swim in the ocean at least once a week. I got myself race-fit, both mentally and physically. And, when race day finally arrived I received two sage pieces of advice:

• Do not think of sharks; and
• MOM’s the word.

In fact, I had my support crew write the words “MOM” on a big white board – Mind Over Matter.

Four hours later I arrived at Bloubergstrand after negotiating currents, 11° water and those 4m open ocean swells and 40km winds I mentioned earlier. I had done it. I was exceptionally proud of my accomplishment but, during those four hours in the water, the most important factor was not my physical ability but my ability to stay focussed on my goal.

On a daily basis, my profession calls on me to remove all emotion from decision making and to assist my clients in making informed and objective choices. I also have to pair the correct specialist with the needs of every client and provide them with the expertise and information to make choices. Just like Bloubergstrand was my goal – and I was crystal clear about it – so too do I encourage my clients to really get to grips with their wealth plans, be it retirement, financial independence, leaving a legacy or protecting the people closest to them.

Just like I couldn’t have achieved my goal without the assistance of friends, family and a support system on the ocean, so too does every client need a financial expert at their side. In my case, I was shepherded to Bloubergstrand by an accompanying two-engine boat and three crew members.

The future is uncertain and will doubtless surprise, but in order to adapt to this ever-changing environment one has to be prepared and to utilise the appropriate resources at your disposal at any given time.