We all want more from life. We want to live a good and meaningful life. This is how we generate hope, by believing that there is something new for us to discover, fresh for us to share and fulfilling for us to experience.

Sometimes life will gift us a reward that we haven’t had to work for directly, but for everything else, it is a constant cycle of trade-offs. We have many resources at our disposal, from skills, knowledge and time, to money, assets and relationships.

In a world that is easily distracted by materialism, it’s easy to become focussed on the physical investments we can make into our present and future wellbeing. But there are many investment ideas to keep us balanced, and intentional about our choices.

• Invest your time

We can spend time on an activity, or we can invest time in an activity. One way to bring balance and fulfilment is to learn to manage your time, to not feel like you have wasted it.

Who you spend your time with, where, why, and what can help you reflect and identify more profound value in your life.

• Invest your money

No future is ever certain, but we can certainly reduce risk (mitigation) and bolster financial security in the future when we invest our money. This doesn’t always mean that it has to be invested in the markets or financial vehicles; you could also invest in the people around you by supporting them financially.

Economically empowering others shows a strong social awareness and can be uplifting on a larger community level.

• Invest your energy

Between careers, friends, family, health, and everything else in-between, balancing your lifestyle can be a challenge. Apart from investing your time, different activities require different levels of energy and engagement.

Social media and technology have made us ‘always online’, and this unfettered presence can be a significant energy sapper. We may not think that we’re spending large batches of time, but the energy that we invest (or waste) on conversations and journeys of thought that are sparked by a social media post or a video call, can be immense.

Yes, this may mean reducing your social circle, but it could just mean applying more intentionality around how you invest your energy. A secret to investing energy is to find activities and relationships that revive, refresh and inspire us.

• Invest in yourself

Try doing at least one thing that makes you happy each week. It is not selfish; rather, it’s about recognising that you’re important, and nurturing yourself needs to happen before you can encourage and enable others.

Investments of value are not just those that involve the exchange of money; they are multi-faceted and crucial to finding value, meaning and fulfilment in life.