Ingrid and I try to look and plan for the future as best as we can. I think everyone should. Planning for what could happen in the future does not completely eradicate risk. However, taking measures for unpleasant and unwanted possibilities can reduce their impact.
I’m talking about life things that can happen. For instance, you lose your big toe. And, that’s what you use to paint the masterpieces that wow the world and rake in serious ka ching (cash money). This can be life changing on many levels.
It can have grave emotional impact. Your income and lifestyle will be affected… I haven’t even touched on how this could affect your family, business and all sorts.
Before I start sounding too much like someone trying to sell you something, let me get to something important our financial planner reminded me recently:
Your most important asset is, <insert drumroll> YOU! [Click to Tweet]
For some reason, it is so easy to shift value to things we own, before we appreciate the value we, ourselves are. We buy a house, car, jewelry, shares or stocks, businesses and so on, and we start to rate them according to worth.
The thing is, we forget that we are and should always be at the top of the list. It is not rocket science. You are the one that gets the stuff. If you lost all your other assets you could replace them.
Not that you don’t already know this, but reminders are great… So, this means:
Care
Taking better care of ourselves. It means exercising and eating right. This means your physical health must never be an afterthought. It means being proactive about your health and not waiting to fall ill before you can pay attention to you body and health.
Not to make too much of a fuss, it just means you need to pay attention to every area of your life and be sure you’re giving it the most appropriate attention and care. Think preventative and think manage risk.
Need I say more?
Others
You being an asset means that whatever happens to you affects more than just you. To give a very simple example, If something happened to me Ingrid would be affected. This is deeper than just finances or income. Thus I need to be careful not to do things because if I hurt or break it doesn’t just affect me…
Plan
It may be time to remember, check and reevaluate where necessary. Have you insured your car and forgot to cover risks that concern you, the most valuable asset?
To state the obvious, you need to plan to not only protect but also grow the asset that you are. This spans from preventive measures, or building reserves. Think about every aspect of your life.