Two easy ways to invest in a profitable future

August 31, 2007 · Posted in Education, Motivation, Self-help

We’ve all heard our mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, grandparents and others lament, “If I’d just bought that IBM (insert their popular choice) stock when it was $2.00/share, we’d all be worth millions today.” Well, there are stocks available today that will be the IBM’s of tomorrow, however the same problem exists today that existed for your grandfather. How do you determine which stocks will perform best over time?

In order to determine which stock will be a great investment you must invest in learning about the future potential of your stock candidates. This is not an article about “how to pick a great performing stock”. But it is an article about investments. So here are a couple of great investment tips.

1. Invest in your education

I can hear all the back buttons clicking right now. I know, no one has the time or money to return to college. I’m not saying that you must return to college or that you even need to. What I am saying is, “your success in whatever you attempt is based on your competency and not your diploma.”

True education is measured by how well you think.

Are you able to look at a project or concept and see the potential? Can you weigh the upside vs. the downside? What problems can you foresee? Is your mind already formulating options? I have a friend who is a master industrial electrician. When he gets called to a breakdown, he begins running through a mental checklist of potential causes and their effects, before he ever gets to the job. He usually has the issue repaired in his mind before he even touches the machine. He has great vision and his analytical ability is excellent, far above most people. However, he does not have a four-year degree. This does not and has not handicapped him. In fact he is currently involved in a project with me that has tremendous financial potential and I am honored that he chose to be involved in our venture.
Do you recognize opportunity? I am sure that if your grandparents had recognized the true value and knew for a fact that IBM stock would be a continual blue-chipper, then they would have found the money to purchase as much stock as possible. The ability to recognize an opportunity can be cultivated and increased. As you expose yourself to more (through learning) you become aware of more opportunities. If you had asked me six months ago about a blog, I would have asked you what you were talking about. I knew what one was, but I did not envision myself writing or participating in one. In fact, I did not see how I would even need to. I now realize that need is not the issue, it is more a desire to be heard and understood. The point is that exposure to a new idea or concept leads to ways to use or leverage those ideas and concepts.
Can you spot the flaws or downside? Most people can, but a select can look at a project or idea and seeing the problems, design, devise and develop solutions for the issues at hand. These select few can then take these solutions and implement them, creating a profitable situation.
Are you a great planner? Some people are natural coordinators. They can take the idea for a situation or event and in their minds eye, see how to make it workable for all involved. Think wedding planners. Think event planners. Think of any person, who has brought together a group of people for the purpose of attaining a goal. Egos are difficult to work with, but these planners “make it happen”. I don’t think they teach this talent in college. Do you have it?
Can you find the answers? Henry Ford said that he did not need to know trivial details, he had people who worked for him that could find out anything that he needed to know. By the way, Henry Ford’s formal education ended in grammar school. Your mind should not be a warehouse of facts, but an organ of active thinking.

It is your ability to think that determines your level of competency. Anything that improves or increases your thinking ability is education. Invest in your future by developing your most important tool, your mind.

2. Invest in Idea Starters

Idea starters feed and nourish your mind. They give you constructive material to think and ponder on.

Read books on areas that interest you. Read books that stimulate your thinking. A good novel is O.K. now and then, but they seldom inspire increased thinking capacity. Self-help, self-growth, business, science, technology and trends are all categories of books that can and will stimulate your abilities.
Listen to audio books. Form a co-op group where everyone in the group purchases an audio book, listens to it then trades it to someone else in the group. The amount of time that you spend in your automobile is staggering. Use this time to your advantage. Think of it as your university on wheels. The wealth of information available in audio format is tremendous.
Magazines are a fantastic source of what is currently on the cutting edge. Find out how the current movers and shakers are changing our world. Profound thought thrives on profound input. Topical reading might provoke you to have a world-altering idea.
Explore new web sites and blogs. I stumbled across “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawaski recently and it really stirred my passion. As you must know, the internet is the great information universe. You are only limited by the amount of time you can connect and the speed of your connection. New thoughts and ideas are being created and discussed by the millions right now.
Form a Mastermind group. This idea was first espoused by Andrew Carnegie, recorded by Napolean Hill and adopted by nearly every successful person since. Basically, you get a group of people together for regular meetings to discuss ideas of interest. Ideally, the more successful the group members, the better your group and results will be. These are no-holds-barred meetings meant to discuss the proliferation and implementation of the ideas of the group’s members.

An investment in your education is an investment in your future. Don’t assume that there are no avenues available for you to increase your thinking capacity. I’ve listed several and most are free. Take advantage, start today.

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Tags: education, ideas, investments+in+yourself