It’s January of a new year and we all know that means it’s time for New Year’s Resolutions. Instead of setting unobtainable goals for yet another year, we are going to show you 4 simple, yet powerful things you can do in 2024.
We believe these things will improve your quality of life immediately, and should be considered by all.
Because you are a busy person, we’ve condensed this list down to just 4 action items. Today it’s all about being short, sweet, and to the point!
Since we at A Step Above Style value your time (and because you already know why you’re here) we’ll jump right in.
Let’s begin.
1. Read More Books Like The Uber Wealthy
The Benefit: Successful people know that they can get the knowledge that took others a lifetime to learn just by reading a book.
According to a 2022 LinkedIn article successful people see books as a gateway to knowledge.
Far too many of us stopped reading when we graduated high school. However some of the top earners in our society love reading books. Big names such as:
- Elon Musk
- Warren Buffett
- Bill Gates
While watching TV, hanging out with friends, or sleeping may be the “easy route”, seldom does it lead to positive results in our finances. If you want to make a true change in 2024, make the choice to read more.
Below are a few of my top recommendations:
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
- Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
- The More of Less by Joshua Becker
- The 5 AM Club by Michael Lombardi
Ask yourself, do you want to continue to “not be a reader”, or do you want to be someone who picks up good habits and becomes like some of the top earners in modern day society?
The choice is yours, but don’t do the same things as last year and expect different results.
2. Exercise Like You Want To Live Longer
The Benefit: Regular exercise reduces the risk of the #1 killer of both men and women in the world today: Heart Disease.
An Article from the Mayo Clinic states, “No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel, called cardiovascular, diseases. lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which lowers your risk of heart and blood vessel, called cardiovascular, diseases’.
In English that means it’s probably, most likely, definitely a good thing to exercise on a regular basis.
Personally I work out every other day for just 20 minutes at a time. This is the minimum timeframe that I “have” to work out for.
The reason why the timeframe is so “short” is because I know myself. Scheduling a hour-long workout would likely get procrastinated over time and time again.
These are the benefits of keeping the workout short:
- It’s only 20 minutes and easy to fit into my schedule
- Because the timeframe is limited, I can push myself harder in a short period of time
- The more that I do this short workout (and see the results), the more I will want to workout longer (increasing my minimum timeframe)
Below is a graphic that can give you some ideas on exercises and workouts to try:
3. Make Your Money Work For You With Investing
The Benefit: Investing has the potential to generate much higher returns that savings accounts.
First let me say that we at A Step Above Style are not financial advisors. We are not in the business of giving financial advice of that kind.
We do however share the things we have found success with, and also those things readily available through books, the internet, etc.
After you work hard for your money, you should begin having it work for you. Saving is always a smart option, but don’t neglect investing.
The first thing we recommend is that if your employer offers a 401k plan, take advantage of it. Contribute up to whatever amount they match.
Secondly, begin investing in a Roth IRA. This is an individual retirement account to which you contribute after-tax dollars. I do this and invest into an index fund that is a part of the S&P 500.
As stated with working out above, I keep the amount that I contribute to my Roth IRA low enough that I can do it every single time I get paid and still meet my other obligations!
4. Dive Into A Hobby That Brings Out The Kid In You
The Benefit: Hobbies are important as they can reduce stress, strengthen relationships with like-minded people, and allow you to do something you truly enjoy on a regular basis.
Hobbies can be anything that brings people joy and brings like-minded groups of folks together. Things such as:
- Pokemon Cards
- Hiking
- Motorcycle riding
- Fountain Pens
- Video Games
- Soccer
- Sewing
- Thrifting
- Etc.
The key to this step improving the quality of your life is taking the time to find the right one. Not every hobby will bring you joy. Some are fun, others are cool, but you need to find the perfect one for you.
Look for the one that brings you true joy. It may not be something that everyone else understands, but it must be something you enjoy. Think of how happy you will be having a hobby you can enjoy often!
Conclusion
Thank you for reading today’s post. We hope you found it inspirational if nothing else. Now we would like to issue you a challenge.
Comment down below which of the 4 items you believe you are going to start on first.
Until next time, y’all have a good one.
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