Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. Now it’s time to reflect, and you’re likely looking back at the past year, examining the highs and lows (hopefully not taking Facebook too seriously). While doing this, you are probably also planning for the upcoming year that is just around the corner. Looking ahead to 2015, there are many uncertainties – Will oil prices bounce back? Will the tech bubble burst? Will real estate prices keep rising? Only time will reveal the answers…
So how do you where to invest your money, time, and energy this year? The easy answer would be to say that you can’t. However, I can guarantee one investment in 2015 that will be worth all of the money, time, and energy you spend. That investment is YOU!
There is no better place to start investing in the New Year. You have the ability to set yourself up for success in all other aspects of your life, with a limitless ceiling on the returns. Take a look at these five ways to invest in yourself in 2015:
1) Be Healthy
As the old saying goes, “If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.” You should take this to heart and understand you cannot function at your full potential without your health. There are two major things you will need to focus on when it comes to your health, diet and exercise. These are not interchangeable and you will need to invest in eating right AND staying active. That means eating lots of lean meats, fruits, and vegetables, while also making time for daily exercise such as jogging, cycling, weight lifting, etc. The better job you do of taking care of yourself, the more ROI you will see – not only from an appearance standpoint but from an energy and output standpoint as well. This added energy and overall better feeling will help you to attack 2015 with a vigor you have never felt before.
2) Surround Yourself with Quality People
I cannot stress this enough. You, as a person, will evolve into the people you surround yourself with. Therefore it is vital to surround yourself with quality people. Quality people can be defined as those who empower you to be a better person and are a positive influence in your growth. Whether that is an intimate relationship, your friends, family, or just anyone you spend a significant amount of time with – make sure you invest wisely in the company you keep!
3) Make Personal Time
As important as it will be to surround yourself with quality people, it will be important for you to take some personal time for rest and rejuvenation. Noone can run at full speed 24/7/365 and investing in some time to recover and refresh your mind and body will pay massive dividends over the long haul. Plenty of studies show that there is an absolute connection between downtime and successful living. This is much easier said than done as we tend to get so caught up in the day to day, it is hard to carve out even 20 minutes. Allotting time for things like meditation and yoga may assist in creating that personal time.
4) Learn Something New Every Day
It’s very simple – knowledge is power and without it we are weak. Knowing and understanding that statement, you should invest heavily in your efforts to gain knowledge and broaden your horizons of ignorance. Whether that be learning a skill, reading new information, or just experiencing something unfamiliar, this will be a vital part of your growth and success as a person in 2015. If you arm yourself with more knowledge every day, you will be much better suited to dominate the world around you and have a better year than ever before.
5) Take Risks
Lastly, but most definitely not least, it will behoove you to invest in taking new risks. Some risks will succeed and some will fail, but no matter what you will have valuable takeaways and lessons that will help you move forward. One of the great quotes from T.S. Eliot says, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” This will be true for you in 2015 and beyond. You have no idea how far you can go until risk it. The most acclaimed accomplishments by some of the most successful people in our history came as a result of taking risks.
While some may choose to invest in stocks, or bonds, or maybe even in commodities, I challenge you to invest in the most important asset of all – yourself. It may be a little different than your previous investments you have made and you might not see the returns right away, but you will be able to watch yourself grow and be more valuable than ever before. That is why YOU are the best investment for 2015.