What Are the Best Ways to Invest in Your Future?

The stock market has been a hot conversation topic, with many people wondering what the best way to invest is to ensure good returns. The stock market can, and does, make people a lot of money. However, money isn’t the only thing to consider when you’re thinking about your future. In fact, studies have shown that having more money only increases your happiness up to a certain point. 

In order to ensure a happy future for yourself and your family, it’s more productive to think about earning enough that you are comfortable while living a life that you are enjoying at the same time.

If you think hard on this, as you would with any investment strategy, your investment in yourself can yield wonderful results.

Health

Chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes are on the rise in America, and they are largely linked to lifestyle choices. They also come with a higher risk of other conditions such as heart disease, cancer and strokes that can lead to an early death.

The single most important thing you can do for yourself and your family is to make an effort to lead a healthy life. This will mean that you are not only less likely to develop a chronic condition, but you will feel happier and better within yourself.

Looking after your health doesn’t have to be an expensive thing to do either. Some of the things you can focus on are:

• Eat a variety of foods, including lots of fruits and vegetables. A great way to do this is to bulk out your plate with a variety of roasted veg or salad – you’ll get more veg and you’ll feel as though you’ve eaten more than you actually have.
• Limit processed and sugary foods. Fizzy drinks, in particular, are packed with sugar, and you won’t feel full after consuming them so these are really ‘empty’ calories. Try having fruit around to snack on, and batch cook meals to keep in the freezer so that when you need something quick and easy, you have a healthy option to hand. 
• Staying hydrated is really important. Adults need to drink around 1.5 liters per day, and more if they are exercising or it’s hot. Water is the best source of fluid, but fruit juices and teas are ok as well. 
• Maintaining a healthy body weight is important. Excess body weight comes from eating more food than we need to, so in order to maintain a healthy body weight you just need to move around more and eat a bit less!
• Exercise is important, but it doesn’t have to be a gruelling gym class. Going for a walk in the woods or dancing to your favourite song both burn calories and keep you healthy. Experiment with a few different things and try to find something that you really enjoy, as you’ll be much more likely to stick to it.
• Prioritise sleep. If you’re well-rested you’ll feel more alert, and be less prone to snacking. It’s a good idea to maintain a sleep routine where you don’t allow any screens in the bedroom, and you make a point of relaxing in the half-hour before you want to sleep. Try reading or listening to an audiobook.

Education

One of the best ways to invest in yourself is to invest in your education. 

Graduate degree holders are likely to earn more per year than bachelor’s degree holders, on average $17,000 per year more, and holding a degree can make you a more attractive candidate for employers. For example, gaining an MBA proves to your potential employer that you have a wide-ranging knowledge of business, and puts you in a good position to take up a leadership position. If you’d like to learn more about how to choose an MBA program, then click here.

A degree is also a great way to expand your horizons, meet new people and spend some focused time on working towards your goals.

A Career You Enjoy

Before you decide to invest in your education, it’s a good idea to really think about what you want out of your career.

Do you dream of a job where you can work at home so you can walk the dog at lunchtime and be there when the kids get home from school? Or do you want to jet off around the world and spend your time meeting new people and exploring new places? Whatever it is that you want your life to look like, it’s absolutely possible to create it for yourself with a little thought.

When thinking about your dream job studies have shown that more important than salary, is the feeling that you are making a difference to a cause that you feel passionately about. It’s also important that you are doing a job that you are good at, and where you have a supportive working environment, which means things like allowing you to lead the life you want to outside of work by offering flexible working, providing healthcare, paying a reasonable salary so that you aren’t worried about money, and where you can work with colleagues who you get along with.

Stay Curious

It’s really important that you spend time being engaged with the people around you, and being curious enough to keep learning new things just for the sake of learning.

Continuing to learn and grow will give your life a sense of purpose and meaning, and not only this but it’s been suggested by studies that feeding the brain’s curiosity actually helps to delay Alzheimer’s.

Make Time for the Ones You Love

When people are looking back over their lives, they rarely wish that they had worked more! Be sure to invest your time in the people that you care about, listen to them, and be genuinely curious about their interests so that you can build a meaningful connection. We’re social animals, and we get the most meaning out of interactions with others.