365 Investments Per Year

Seven years ago, had you taken me to coffee and asked me what I thought about investing, I probably would have snorted my coffee right out my nose. My life was wrapped up in studies of literature and law. I was just looking for a way to make money, not really concerned about what I would do with it once I actually had some.

In some regards, this was a great way to be, because all of the money I made just sort of stock-piled in my checking account. I didn’t make much, but I didn’t spend much either. Then marriage happened.

More than Just Stocks

What I didn’t realize is that every step of the way, I was investing. Every time I made a priority, I invested a little more of myself in one direction or another. When I got married, my life’s portfolio became more diversified. I took a little time out of the education fund and put it into the relationship fund.

The funds were not quantitative, but rather qualitative. Investing has and always will be so much more than just stocks. We invest in ourselves through our health, our education, our relationships...every choice we make costs us some sort of investment.

I think one of the greatest lessons we can learn about investing is that we do it all the time without realizing it. We should take the lessons we’ve learned about ourselves through our health, education, and relationships and apply them to what we put into our financial portfolio.

In the end, it’s all about the same goals anyway: security and peace of mind. When we decide to further our education, we want to be able to use what we learn in order to better our lives. We develop relationships with other people to enrich our lives and create support systems (emotional insurance). We all want to be healthy and full of vitality as we age, so we invest in our health.

A Learning Process

It’s what we learn about ourselves along the way that really helps us become better in the future. If we’re quick to jump ship in our relationships, we may be more likely to do the same when it comes to stocks. If we decide to bear through all the work and headache of a PhD, we’re probably more likely to monitor our investments like a hawk.

For a lot of people, investing is a scary word. It shouldn’t be. You’re doing it all the time, 365 days a year.

The next time you make a decision, think about what part of life’s investments you are funding. Your regrets? Your love? Your self-worth? In the end, you want your portfolio to sustain you. Have you made your life what you want it to be? Are you headed in the right direction?

We’re all investors. What does your portfolio look like?

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