1. Live Below Your Means 

    There will always be temptation to forsake the future for immediate gratification. We all want to buy that new piece of technology, treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town, or take out a loan for the flashy car we can’t afford. It might feel great at the time but rash spending hurts a lot later on.

    Enjoy life’s simple pleasures and save as much as you can. Expensive things don’t create lasting happiness and security. Careful spending will bring you greater leisure and enjoyment in the long run.

    2. Put Your Money to Work 

    Saving is great, but to make the most of your money you need to put it to work. Good investments can be the difference between retiring in your 40’s or in your 60’s.

    A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking. According to Trent’s projections, if a person in their early 20’s invests 20% of their income in an S&P index fund, the interest they earn will equal their current salary when they reach their early 40’s. They could retire without a drop in income!

    Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence and it’s something everyone can work on. It’s definitely an area I’ll be devoting more attention to in my personal life and on this blog.

    3. Educate Yourself

    To be happy we need continuous growth. The best way to grow is life long education. This doesn’t mean you need to pursue a doctorate or spend 2 hours reading every day. Self education can be anything that takes you out of your comfort zone. The important part is keeping an open mind and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives.

    Education builds over time. It might feel like the bits of wisdom you acquire don’t mean much, but over the years they add up to form a wiser, kinder, more interesting person.

    4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships

    Suppose you had everything you wanted. Would you be happy without anyone to share it with? The personal relationships we develop with friends and family members are the greatest source of happiness in our lives. Don’t forget about them.

    Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships is essential to longterm happiness. Without the people you care about you’ll probably be miserable, no matter how successful you become.

    5. Work Towards a Dream You’re Passionate About

    Even if your life isn’t perfect, you can always build towards a goal you’re passionate about. If you aren’t building towards something, you’re probably stagnating. When this happens to me I start to feel like a victim trapped by my own life. The best way to reverse this is working towards a goal.

    We can’t control everything about our lives, but working towards a goal gives us something positive to focus on and lays the foundation for future success. No matter what your passion is, get out there and start doing something. As Lao Tzu said, even a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

    6. Stay in Shape

    You only get one body. Once it’s been ruined there isn’t much you can do about it. Exercise to keep the rust off. Avoid excessive consumption of damaging substances and unhealthy foods. It may feel like terrible self denial at the time but enjoying good health in your later years is worth the sacrifice.

    1.低調生活

    生活中到處充滿誘惑，一不小心就可能為了

    一(yi)時(shi)的(de)滿(man)足(zu)而(er)自(zi)毀(hui)前(qian)程(cheng)。我(wo)們(men)都(dou)有(you)購(gou)買(mai)各(ge)種(zhong)新(xin)奇(qi)的(de)高(gao)科(ke)技(ji)玩(wan)意(yi)兒(er)，花(hua)上(shang)一(yi)大(da)筆(bi)錢(qian)到(dao)城(cheng)裏(li)過(guo)一(yi)次(ci)真(zhen)正(zheng)的(de)奢(she)華(hua)生(sheng)活(huo)，或(huo)為(wei)了(le)我(wo)們(men)負(fu)擔(dan)不(bu)起(qi)的(de)豪(hao)華(hua)汽(qi)車(che)而(er)向(xiang)銀(yin)行(xing)貸(dai)款(kuan)的(de)衝(chong)動(dong)。欲(yu)望(wang)得(de)到(dao)滿(man)足(zu)時(shi)的(de)感(gan)覺(jiao)確(que)實(shi)很(hen)好(hao)

，但(dan)是(shi)過(guo)後(hou)你(ni)將(jiang)為(wei)自(zi)己(ji)的(de)大(da)手(shou)大(da)腳(jiao)而(er)付(fu)出(chu)慘(can)痛(tong)的(de)代(dai)價(jia)。

    2.讓自己的錢“動”起來

    儲蓄是個不錯的主意，但是要更好地利用手頭的錢，你就必須讓它“動”起來。是40歲退休還是整天忙碌到60歲
，就看你能否很好地進行投資。

    今天在“簡單美元”網站上看到的一個帖子令我陷入沉思。按照帖子作者特倫特的觀點，如果一個人在20歲左右把工資收入的20%投資在S&P指數基金上，到他40歲左右的時候，他投資的利息收入就相當於目前的工資水平，這樣的話，他就可以既不減少收入又可提前退休了。

    yingmingdetouzijuedingshitongxiangjingjidulidezuijiatujing
，erqieshimeigerendouyounengliyishide。haowuyiwen，zheyidianshiwozijizaijinhoudeshenghuozhongjiangzhongdianguanzhu，tongshiyeshiwozhepianwenzhangsuoyaozhongdianchanshudewenti。

    3.活到老，學到老

    renyaokuaile，jiubixubuduanchongshiziji。errangzijichongshidezuihaobanfazemoguoyuhuodaolaoxuedaolao。wobushishuoniyaonulikaoquyigeboshixuewei，huozhemeitianhualianggexiaoshiqinfendushu。zouchuzijishenghuode“小圈圈”所學到的任何東西，都可以稱之為自我充電。其中最重要的一點就是要虛心
，要學會用新觀點新角度看待事物。

    知zhi識shi是shi一yi點dian一yi滴di慢man慢man積ji累lei起qi來lai的de。也ye許xu一yi開kai始shi你ni覺jiao得de學xue到dao的de都dou是shi微wei不bu足zu道dao的de東dong西xi，但dan是shi隨sui著zhe時shi間jian的de推tui移yi

，常chang年nian積ji累lei起qi來lai的de知zhi識shi將jiang把ba你ni變bian成cheng一yi個ge更geng睿rui智zhi、更寬厚、更有趣的人。

    4.發展恒久的人際關係

    jiasheniyijingyongyouyiqienixiangyaodedongxi，danshiquemeiyourennenggouhenifenxiangdehua，nihuigandaokaixinma？fazhantongqinrenpengyouzhijiandeganqingheyouyishiwomenshenghuozhongzuidadekuailelaiyuan。qianwanbiewangletameno！

    huadianshijianpeiyanghexiangshouheqinpenghaoyoujiandemeihaoganqing，shinengfouchangqigandaoxingfukuailedebiyaobaozheng。yigerenruguomeiyoushuirangtajiaodezaihudehua，namebuguantayouduomechenggong，tadeshenghuoyebiranshiyituanzao。

    5.為自己的理想而努力奮鬥

    就jiu算suan你ni的de生sheng活huo有you多duo麼me完wan美mei，你ni也ye應ying該gai經jing常chang為wei自zi己ji設she定ding一yi個ge努nu力li想xiang要yao達da到dao的de目mu標biao。生sheng活huo若ruo是shi失shi去qu目mu標biao的de話hua
，你ni也ye就jiu失shi去qu進jin取qu的de動dong力li而er停ting滯zhi不bu前qian。我wo自zi己ji碰peng到dao這zhe種zhong情qing況kuang的de時shi候hou
，我wo會hui覺jiao得de自zi己ji好hao像xiang成cheng為wei生sheng活huo的de奴nu隸li。而er解jie決jue這zhe個ge問wen題ti的de最zui佳jia辦ban法fa，就jiu是shi為wei自zi己ji設she定ding一yi個ge目mu標biao，並bing為wei之zhi不bu斷duan努nu力li。

    生(sheng)活(huo)中(zhong)有(you)很(hen)多(duo)事(shi)情(qing)不(bu)在(zai)我(wo)們(men)掌(zhang)握(wo)之(zhi)中(zhong)，但(dan)是(shi)為(wei)既(ji)定(ding)的(de)目(mu)標(biao)而(er)努(nu)力(li)，令(ling)我(wo)們(men)集(ji)中(zhong)精(jing)力(li)為(wei)生(sheng)活(huo)中(zhong)積(ji)極(ji)的(de)一(yi)麵(mian)而(er)努(nu)力(li)
，也(ye)為(wei)我(wo)們(men)將(jiang)來(lai)的(de)成(cheng)功(gong)奠(dian)定(ding)基(ji)礎(chu)。不(bu)管(guan)你(ni)的(de)興(xing)趣(qu)在(zai)哪(na)裏(li)
，從(cong)現(xian)在(zai)開(kai)始(shi)盡(jin)管(guan)放(fang)手(shou)去(qu)做(zuo)。正(zheng)如(ru)老(lao)子(zi)所(suo)言(yan)：“千裏之行，始於足下。”

    6.保持健康

    meigerendouzhiyouyigeshenti
，yidanhuaidiao，zaizenmeshentongguangdayewuyongwuzhidi。duozuoyundong，bierangzijideshentishengxiu。buyaoqupengnaxieduishentiyouhaidedongxihebujiankangdeshipin。suirandikangyouhuoshinazhongziwofoudingdexinqingqueshishitingnanshoude，danshixiangdaoyihounenggouyouyigejiankangdeshenti，zhemedianxishengyousuandeleshenmene
？