You Just Need to Outperform Yourself

Everywhere you look, investors seem to be on a hunt. They are searching for the “best” investment—the mutual fund that tops the charts, the stock that has doubled in a short span, or the strategy that promises to beat the market year after year.

It feels like there’s always something better out there. A colleague’s portfolio looks more exciting, a friend’s fund has delivered higher returns, and the media keeps flashing names of winners that you don’t own. Naturally, this creates restlessness: Am I missing out? Did I pick the wrong fund? Should I switch before it’s too late?

But here’s a truth that’s simple, yet very hard to digest –

You don’t need to outperform the market. You just need to outperform yourself.

The mutual fund universe today is vast. Every category—Large Cap, Flexi Cap, Mid Cap, Small Cap, Focused, Value, Multi Cap—has more than 50 schemes. Only a handful can top the charts each year, and they keep rotating places.

That means the “best” fund of this year could very well be average next year. Yet, many investors keep chasing these toppers. They exit one fund and jump into another, hoping to capture outperformance. Sadly, most end up disappointed because the timing rarely works in their favor.

The result? More churn, less discipline, and often, lower returns than if they had simply stayed the course.

If top performers don’t remain on top, then what separates successful investors from the rest? Studies across the globe—whether from SPIVA, DALBAR, or even Indian academic research—consistently show the same thing:

For example, the SPIVA India 2024 scorecard showed that only about 45% of ELSS funds beat their benchmark that year. In other words, more than half of the available options lagged behind, proving that no one fund can stay at the top all the time.

Similarly, the DALBAR Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior (2024) reported that the average equity fund investor underperformed the S&P 500 by over 5% in 2023, not because markets failed, but because investors often sold at the wrong time or missed key rebounds. In fact, even in 2024 when the U.S. market surged, the average investor return was about 16.5% vs 25% for the index—an 8.5% gap caused entirely by behavior, not by the lack of good funds.

The real winners are those who:

It’s not about being the smartest picker of funds. It’s about being the steadier investor.

Your financial journey is unique. You don’t need to beat the Sensex, your neighbor, or a yearly fund ranking. The only competition worth having is with yourself.

Ask:

If the answer is “yes” to even some of these questions, congratulations—you are already outperforming.

Markets will keep moving up and down. Funds will rise and fall in rankings. Predictions will come and go. But your wealth is not built on predictions—it’s built on your discipline.

Outperforming yourself means being more patient, more consistent, and more focused on the long term than you were yesterday. Do this, and your results will take care of themselves.

👉 If you are unsure about what asset allocation is right for you, or how to apply it in your personal situation (instead of following generic rules), let’s connect. Together, we can create a plan that is realistic, customized, and helps you stay on track—without chasing the noise.

👉 Book your free 1:1 financial planning session here → https://wealthwisher.in/book-a-call/