Saving and investing toward a long-term goal (such as a down payment for a house, or a retirement fund) is surprisingly similar to living through a global pandemic.  That may seem ridiculous at first sight, but if you think about it, it’s true.

• At the start of it all it seems terrifying and insurmountable.  Any really huge thing can be overwhelming when you look at it from the beginning.  But you have to just take it one step at a time, whether that be wearing a mask or doing a regular monthly deposit into savings.  You do the right thing in small chunks and it adds up to lots of right things over time.
• There will be ups and downs along the way.  The stock market and interest rates go up and down.  It’s not always in your favor.  The infection rate in your geographic area also goes up and down, not always in your favor.  You buckle up for the ride.  You wait it out.  You play it safe.  And eventually it comes around the other way again.
• You’ll have to make sacrifices. There will be times that you would rather go on a vacation or buy something fun (or useful) instead of socking away that money in savings.  There will be times that you want to go to a large family gathering, or maybe just sit in a normal law school class….but you have to mask up and hunker down instead.  It’s important to keep your eyes on the long-term goal.  Even if it means sacrifices in the short term.
• Eventually you’ll see a light at the end of the tunnel.  You’ll hit mile-markers on the way to your long-term savings goal.  The first $1,000.  The first $5,000.  Half-way there.  75% there.  These things make you see that it is indeed possible to achieve the goal.  Just like the recent good news about vaccines in development make us see that it’s possible we won’t be living the pandemic lifestyle forever.  There is a light at the end of the tunnel…but we’re not there yet.
• At the end of it all, it will have been worth it.  Eventually we’ll get there.  The pandemic will be a historic event that we relay to younger generations and we watch documentaries about.  And the long-term savings goal will have been reached.  You’ll be in your new house, or you’ll be retired, or you’ll have achieved whatever other goal you are saving for.

When you are looking at a long-term savings goal in the future, you’ll have this pandemic to look back on.  And you’ll know that it’s possible to achieve…because you’ll have done it before.