Sharing news and commentary about education, careers, investing, and life.

Sharing news and commentary about education, careers, investing, and life.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Who would you invest in?

Of all the people you know around your age who would you invest in? If such a thing were possible, who would you pick to be the most "successful" person over the course of their life? Granted, you can't just measure success by amount of money earned/net worth/etc. but it's an interesting thought exercise.

I'd have a hard time picking just one person, but I think I'd do pretty well if I could pick 3 or 4 people I know, with 20% of my allocation being reserved for someone in the future who would fit the bill. As for what characteristics I personally would look for, if trying to find the person who would earn the most money over the course of their life, well that'd be easy. I'd go for someone hardworking, always willing to learn, open minded, and able to thrive in spite of disappointments or setbacks.

What are the traits you'd look for? And do you have the same traits? If not, this is a great way to have a clear picture of what you're looking to improve upon in yourself.

1 comment:

Becca Mortensen said...

Great traits! The only thing that I would add is a sense of self. While I think it is crucial, especially in such a changing society, to be open-minded and willing to explore different things, I feel that knowing oneself is equally important.

A mentor recently told me that a good way to judge someone during an interview is to say, "Tell me about yourself in 90 seconds or less," and to pay attention to his or her reaction as well as the answer. Prior to this conversation, I was of the opinion that such questions were patronizing and artificial. I have since realized that what an individual says in that 90 seconds affords you incredible insight. If nothing else, it becomes clear whether or not the person knows himself or herself. That, to me, is a measure of success.