When we hear “investments,” the first thing most of us think of is our portfolios.
Stocks. Real Estate. Collectibles. That US Government Savings Bond from Grandma you’d forgotten about (you’re welcome btw).
What do you own and what do these assets do for you? That’s the question.
But the truth is we’ve all got three things to invest: Time, Energy, and Money.
And while we spend a lot of time on that last one…we don’t spend nearly enough on the first two. At least I know I haven’t.
Growing up I had a very narrow vision of what was possible for me in life. My household struggled financially and because I saw and experienced the stress that came with living paycheck to paycheck, money became my primary focus.
How I spent my time and energy was irrelevant. I was after that almighty dollar.
So I became an accountant.
A predictable, stable job that made my parents proud, allowed me to support the people I love financially, and ensured I’d never go another day wondering how the next bill was going to be paid (as long as I lived within my means).
But I hated the work…and my time and energy weren’t being spent in a way that would allow me to grow as a person. Its sole purpose was to meet my basic financial needs.
Today, I’m in a much different place. After eight years of education and work experience…I have a strong financial foundation, diverse skillset, and broad network — a “career hedge” if you will (one that will be carved in stone once I finish this damn CPA certification over the next few months.)
Throughout this process, the financial anxiety that drove all of my decisions has been slowly eroded. I now have confidence that no matter what happens in the world, me and my folks can stay above water financially.
But simply surviving isn’t the goal…so I’m moving the posts.
To figure out what’s next, I’m currently:
Determining what I truly value, both personally and professionally.
Auditing where my time, energy, and money have been (and are currently) going.
Identifying the gaps and creating a more suitable path forward.
That brings me back to this blog, which I promised would be primarily about my journey in the markets. And it will be, but I’ll ask you to bear with me over the coming months as I lay the groundwork to analyze and trade markets in a way that fits my broader goals.
For the last eight years, I’ve had every ounce of time, energy, and money carefully allocated. But now now I’ve gone and liquidated all those resources at once — leaving me with plenty of time, plenty of energy, and enough money.
And rather than rush to reallocate them, I’m going to take some time and complete the process I outlined above. After all..I can’t know how to invest my resources if I haven't articulated my goals and their related constraints.
That’s all I’ve got for today.
Before I let you go, I’m curious. How do you think about investing your resources of time, energy, and money?
Leave a comment down below. I’d love to hear some different perspectives on this topic.
No interesting links today, but I’ll leave you with one of my home-grown memes.
I have not think it this way earlier. Interesting read.
My 3 Daughters and Wife.