The One Investment | The One Thought

Invest Wisely In Your Thoughts

Before we start talking about The One Investment we should make, let us spare a thought for the most crucial determinant of our financial and mental well-being. It is important to focus on the way we think and the thousands of thoughts that cross our minds, consciously and sub-consciously. Indeed, it is time to think about Soch ’21, the article writing competition of Prabandhan at IIT Kanpur, in association with From The Experts’ Mouth. We are at the cusp of major changes in the world order, across many domains, and the theme of The One Thought aims to elicit your critical insights and views on several themes. Among the thoughts for Soch ’21, we are looking for The One Lesson that you have for the education system, or The One Idea that can change the world.

It is now time to turn our attention to The One Investment that can yield us the best returns with the least risk!

The One Investment and Two Interpretations

The socio-economic catastrophe that unfolded due to the pandemic has impacted businesses and individuals across continents. While companies had to reinvent strategies for survival, individuals lost optimism in the future of the market and were forced to rethink financial investments. Amid the looming uncertainty and due to disrupted lifestyle, society is opening up to the concept of investing in oneself, whether for upskilling or for improved mental and physical health.

Investment has a new meaning under the current circumstances. For some, this would be the conventional, financial investment in bonds, stocks, equities, real estate, etc. However, for others it would mean investing in one’s skills, career, health and overall wellbeing. In the current situation, contrary to the popular notion, investments of both kinds hold importance. Financial investments if done taking calculated risks will increase chances for better future returns, while investments in one’s health and mental wellbeing today will be key for a future that is strong and resilient against fatal ailments, and investments in career in the form of upskilling and specializations would match the demands of the future workforce.

Related Read: Read the series of articles on Abundance

What Is The One Investment To Recommend?

What is your idea of The One Investment that can restore our faith in this age-old future-securing process upended by the pandemic today? We encourage you to pen down your thoughts in an article and submit it to Soch ’21- the article writing competition.

Here are a few prompts that will help you come up with The One Thought that can encourage the society to overcome inhibitions and revamp their strategy of making investments in the current times.

#Investing in Cryptocurrency

Even as uncertainty looms large over the future of currency and that of the digital coin industry, the world is witnessing an unimaginable rise in investments in cryptocurrencies. Even during acute uncertainty and economic downfall, cryptocurrencies have been on fire. Moreover, the paradigm shift towards digital transformation at a global level has provided the industry the perfect environment it needs to thrive.

What are your thoughts about investing in cryptocurrency? Do you think it could be The One Investment that can promise substantial returns? Will regulatory considerations play a spanner in the works of the crypto run? How will the digital economy be shaped by the forces of algorithmic trust and provenance and how should the business world crack the crypto code?

Related Read: A comprehensive post on Fintech

#Investing in Booming Industries in the New Normal

Although the pandemic did give us several reasons to feel stressed and overwhelmed, it wasn’t all bad. As the popular saying goes, “every cloud has a silver lining”, the pandemic too ushered in an array of opportunities for many industries. Among the top sectors that are bound to experience a steep ascent in the New Normal are Healthcare, Ed-Tech, e-Commerce, and all things digital.

Do you think The One Investment in one of these sectors would prove judicious? Or, would you place your bets on a dark horse aka the industry segment that is likely to yield super normal returns? Do you have any thoughts about the one framework or philosophy that can lead to sustainable and consistent better financial decision making in the coming times?

Related Read: How to assess value for money?

#Mitigating Investment Risks in the VUCA World

The pandemic sent ripples of shock across the globe, causing stock markets to fluctuate like never before. The volatility of the market left many potential investors apprehensive about their investing decision as they were accompanied by high risks with no measures in sight to mitigate the risks. While it is normal to feel insecure and indecisive regarding financial investments during a phase of acute uncertainty, investors need to manage and diversify the risks.

No matter how much of risk appetite an investor has, they should not be driven by the emotions of fear and greed during decision making and should keep a rock steady approach towards portfolio growth that will ensure greater returns in the longer run. We would love to know your thoughts on the idea of making a financial investment during a turbulent phase or crisis and the steps you would take to mitigate the risks involved.

What is the Next Normal approach to Risk Management? Does the new world order require us to weigh risks more carefully, particularly the risk of Black Swan events?

Related Read: The Anatomy of Risks and Black Swans

#Investing in One’s Career

Investing in one’s career and skills holds more importance now than ever! The colossal socio-economic change following the pandemic has stressed upon the importance of being relevant with the times and brought into focus some career options that will be much sought after in the New Normal. Fields such as Software and App Development, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and IoT are bound to hold immense relevance in the near future. And, certainly, businesses would need experts specializing in the digital world to harness the digital knowhow for future proof business model and operations.

What lies ahead of us are a gamut of career choices and several specializations relevant to the industries we work in that are sure to make our portfolios more future-ready. What are your thoughts? What is The One Investment that one should make to future-proof their career? While a lot is said about technical skills, would you rather argue for investing in soft skills? We look forward to reading your article with The One Thought in the submission to Soch ’21.

Related Read: Choose to read some of the articles related to Careers

#Investing in One’s Mental and Physical Health

COVID-19 forced us to re-evaluate our priorities, turning our attention to the most essential but much neglected aspect of our lives – our physical and mental health. Until the first wave, most of us had been stuck on the hamster wheel, chasing money, comfort, luxury and recognition. The pandemic made us realize that good mental health and strong immunity are indispensable and much more important than anything that we had ever been running after in our quest of a “fulfilling” life. To keep pace with the changing dynamics of the world in the New Normal, it is crucial to see good health as an investment that promises multi-fold returns.

Do you agree? What do you think about health as The One Investment? What sort of investments does one need to make in mental health? Should investments be measured only in terms of money, or should we look at time, or should our mind-space be considered as our most valuable asset category?

Related Reads: An ensemble of articles about Mental Health

Good Luck With Your Investments

The above are some prompts that can fuel your thoughts. It is time to wear your thinking hats and make the right investment and lifestyle choices! You may get better clarity of your own mental models, as you start writing about The One Investment. You never know, your One Thought can help millions navigate through the current turbulence with ease! What’s more, you stand a chance to win exciting prizes and get published!

Now, this is what we would call an excellent investment of your time and cognitive resources. So, here are some relevant links to get you started: