Health, Fortitude and Time: Your 3 most valuable assets.

As you get a little older you will likely find yourself taking stock of your personal balance sheet. You will have a variety of entries, some tangible like your net worth and various other assets; but there are also some intangibles that may be overlooked like your health, the state of your mind and the value of the time you may have left.

If you are starting out it is likely that these matters will be a cursory thought. After all, your whole life is ahead of you. You are young, healthy and tough. But it is precisely because of the nature of the business you enter, the challenges you will face, that an assessment of these most valuable of assets is important.

Health, fortitude and time represent three of the most important intangible assets we all have as human beings; and they are all essential to a having a good and productive life.

When they are plentiful, we can overcome anything, start from anywhere and increase the possibility that you will enjoy the fruits of lifelong labor in the distant future.

Health

When you begin your career you will no doubt be working incredibly hard, burning the candle at both ends and pursuing everything around you with the vigor and enthusiasm of youth. You will not be thinking much beyond the next few years, and simply assume that your golden years will be blessed with the realization of your dreams and all of the other benefits of your success.

Like many things, health is perceived on a linear basis. If times are good, the assumption is good times will continue, but that isn't always the case.

We never really think: Ok, I need to book in 2 colds, a flu, 19 hangovers and a broken wrist this year, and some chronic pain for the following 5. You are healthy, so your forward assumption is health and the subsequent perception that good health brings.

If you become sick you might miss some work, be less productive or in the worst case scenario, possibly face serious personal and financial hardship.

A person with a chronic illness will have a tendency to be more cautious in risk oriented situations, which is problematic if risks need to be taken as a part of your work. The perception of risk is often heightened by this type of adversity which subsequently increases risk aversion.

Threats and challenges seem so much greater than they actually are when a person is exhausted due to compensating for an illness, whether short or long term.

The impact of stress, anxiety and depression are unforgiving hand maidens, and they have implications for your future.

Guard your health.

Work is important. Success has benefits; but health is everything.

Fortitude

Fortitude is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as: strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain and adversity with courage.

Strength of mind is critical in almost any endeavor, but incredibly important in a highly competitive environment. Your ability to push past setbacks, overcome obstacles and deal with the many challenges throughout your career therefore requires a healthy dose of fortitude.

You will find that during extended routs, prolonged downturns or losses that your mental state more than anything will be challenged. Your morale and the ability to press on will require massive amounts of energy and strength of mind. Without it your career will be short and your health will suffer from the inability to shed the crushing demands on your mental and emotional being.

Strength of mind in a risk taking capacity is a fundamental state. You must be able to see losses for what they are while putting gains in their appropriate perspective. It’s never that bad, or that good, in spite of what you perceive them to be.

When under extreme duress, you can find yourself frozen and incapable of making important decisions. Even the simplest decision may prove an issue under these conditions.

Fortitude is about choosing a new perspective under these circumstances, an alternative point of view in an otherwise difficult situation. Change your dial to a new station and see the same situation from a different vantage point in order to press on.

Rest, rejuvenation and perspective can help to maintain this valuable asset and give you the strength to weather trying circumstances and persevere to better ones.

Time

Time is the ultimate asset. You have a finite amount of it. You have no idea how much you actually have, and your time can be altered dramatically or cut short by a seemingly innocuous event.

You may think about your future success and retirement with whimsy, but an illness or an injury can alter your amount of time and its relative value. You may have a healthy retirement nest egg, but if you overdid it in your early years, those resources may not be allocated for enjoyment and relaxation, but rather for coping with the long term results of your various productive or perhaps unproductive exploits.

Time is your most valuable resource. It’s not about the endless meetings and journal entries on the calendar, it’s the days you have to fulfill whatever dreams and desires you have. If you put off these things for too long you may find yourself without the time you assumed you had, or using valuable time not to enjoy but to compensate for the by-products of misspent youth.

Remember the next time you plan on being late, or waste someone’s time: more than any asset, money or property, time is irreplaceable. Respect it. Cherish it.

As you begin your journey in the meat grinder remember that you have assets more valuable than the hair on your head, youthful good looks and aspirational credentials.

Recognize the value of the intangible. The fragility of the human condition. Seize the moment. Look around you. Take that trip, do that ride, try that new activity and pursue that opportunity now while you are fresh, and while you can.

In the end you are provided with health, fortitude and time to fulfill whatever your chosen mission may be.

Enjoyment and fulfillment are meant to be experienced throughout in meaningful choices and opportunities, not saved for a distant and uncertain end.

 

Good post, enjoyed it. Loved this:

Fortitude is about choosing a new perspective under these circumstances, an alternative point of view in an otherwise difficult situation.
... and this:
Recognize the value of the intangible. The fragility of the human condition. Seize the moment. Look around you.
I am permanently behind on PMs, it's not personal.
 

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