Most of us spend our lives comparing ourselves to other people. As kids, we’re taught to evaluate ourselves in terms of benchmarks like grades and scores. These ideals are set by the educational system, not kids or parents. Over time, this mindset leads us to embrace society’s definitions of success—money, popularity, or even social media […]
Make a Plan For After Retirement
After a lifetime of being busy, retirement can feel a little boring. Suddenly, you have a lot of extra free time. Sure, doing nothing is fun for a few days. But after a week or so of watching too much TV, you’ll be ready to move on to phase two. So what’s next? Retirement can […]
Move the Goalpost
We take it for granted that our wants and needs change as we age. Yet many people assume it’s best to pick one financial strategy and stick with it for life. That’s a mistake. The best planners rethink what financial wholeness means to them at different stages of life. A good evolving financial plan is […]
High-Performance Investing, Starting Now
A given business falls into one of three areas: it’s at the center of your circle of competence, near its edge, or outside it. You should always ask where a company falls with regard to your circle before you invest in it. Companies that are outside your circle of competence can be tempting, though. Too […]
Food = Medicine
Most of the time, we don’t give much thought to how food and mental health are intertwined. But many of us have experienced how easy it is to eat junk food (or lose our appetites) when we’re busy or stressed. The connection is there, even if we rarely reflect on it. Just as mental health issues can influence […]
Just Say “No Way”
Annoying coworkers. Needy children. Nosy neighbors. Overbearing parents. We all have someone in our lives who would benefit from a firm boundary. Boundaries aren’t rules. Rather, they’re limits, preferences, or expectations. Boundaries allow us to feel safe and calm in relationships, whether they’re personal or professional. And they help us avoid bad feelings like anger and […]
Are You Projecting?
It’s human nature to project our thoughts, feelings, and frustrations onto other people. Here’s a rule of thumb: You tend to admire other people for whatever you most admire in yourself. And you’re most likely to despise them for the things you don’t like about yourself. The next time you feel impressed by or annoyed with […]
Boost Your Mental Health
Sometimes it feels like we’re going through life on autopilot. When you make an effort to pay more attention to your thoughts, you might be surprised by how often they take a negative turn. Studies have shown that most people are fixated on pessimistic thoughts 70 percent of the time. The first step toward clearing […]
How to Calm Down
Worrying can be helpful when it alerts you to a real problem. But when you can’t find a solution to that problem, worry turns into something much darker and more damaging: anxiety. Anxiety can take many different forms. It can slowly cook up throughout the day until it keeps you awake at night. Or it […]
To Get Rich, Start Today
No excuses. To get rich, you must start today. The most common reason people give for not getting rich is their age. Young people worry about their lack of experience and capital. Older people worry about risking what they’ve already achieved, including their established reputations and security. Whatever stage of life you’re in, there will […]
