The combination of your talents, experience and skills
represents an asset. Like any asset, it should be managed and protected. This
includes keeping yourself healthy, having sufficient insurance protection, planning for both the near term and the future, investing in
yourself, and having contingency plans if a sudden turn occurs.
The Key Takeaways
·
You—your talents, experience and skills—are your
most valuable asset.
·
Properly managing and protecting this asset can make
you more valuable and prepare you for future changes and opportunities.
Caring f or Yourself
as an Asset
Too often, we let ourselves slip to the bottom of the
priority list. But when you start to think of yourself as your most valuable
asset and begin to nourish and protect this asset, you will perform at your
best and increase your value. For example:
·
Keep
yourself healthy. You can’t perform at your best if you don’t take care of yourself.
Start with the simple things you already know you should do: eat the right
foods, drink water, exercise regularly, get enough restful sleep, etc. See your
doctor and take care of small issues before they become big problems.
·
Have
sufficient insurance to manage risk. Coverage usually includes health
insurance; long-term care insurance; life insurance; property and casualty
insurance; liability insurance; and professional insurance.
·
Invest in
yourself to stay valuable, both for the short term and long term. Work on
ways to be consistently productive in your work. Learn new skills or take
training that will help in your current job/career or that will prepare you for
a future one. Consider additional education or an advanced degree to help
expand your abilities and potential.
·
Have
contingency plans. Plan for the unexpected. Start paying off debts and building
an emergency fund. Keep your resumé updated. Expand your professional contacts
in your current industry or one you would like to pursue by attending
networking functions and using social media like LinkedIn.
What You Need to Know
When you take care of yourself, protect yourself and invest in yourself, you will perform better, become more valuable, and will be more prepared if your future takes an unexpected turn or a golden opportunity comes your way.
Other Actions to
Consider
·
Stress can affect you physically, mentally and
emotionally. Having a comprehensive plan, and a team of professionals looking
after its execution, brings far greater value in financial benefits, peace of
mind, and confidence in the future than the upfront costs.
·
Don’t expect to make all the changes at one
time. Take small but consistent steps. Set some goals and start working toward
them.
·
Everyone has different talents and abilities.
Consider what you do well and work on being as good as you can be in those
areas. At the same time, be conscious of things you could do better and work on
some improvement in those areas.
To comply with the U.S. Treasury regulations, we must inform you that (i) any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this newsletter was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by any person for the purpose of avoiding U.S. federal tax penalties that may be imposed on such person and (ii) each taxpayer should seek advice from their tax adviser based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances.
