Asset Management

I was at my friends place watching HBO on his wide-screen TV as he smoked a cigarette. He turned to me and asked, ”How do you afford to do all this traveling.” A better question would be, “How is it others do not?”

I travel a lot. So far I’ve traveled in 39 countries. That’s quite an accomplishment for anybody, but particularly for me as I am paralyzed from the shoulders on down. I am able to do so much traveling because I am pretty good at asset management. We all have assets, whether it is time, money, intellectual property, social capital or otherwise. How we manage those assets determines whether we pursue our passions, such as traveling, or sit at home, smoke cigarettes, and watch HBO on a widescreen TV (If I have offended any cigarette smokers I suggest you build a bridge and get over it). Now to be truthful, international traveling can be very demanding and possibly pose a health hazard, so I’m not surprised more people don’t share my passion. If, however, you manage your assets correctly, you can pursue ANY passion.

Let’s start with time. Doug Larson, Olympic Gold Medalist, said, “For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.“ It has also been said that the one thing the President of the US, you, and me all have in common is 24 hours in a day. How we use that time determines how much time we’ll have available to pursue our passions. To make more efficient use of time, I hung a computer from my bedroom ceiling when I had a pressure sore so I could work in bed. I find now it is a good idea whether I’m confined to bed or not.

Do you use “To-Do” lists? Are you organized? Do you find yourself making several trips instead of combining many errands into one trip? Do you prioritize tasks? There are many time saving tips on the web.

Money is the first word that comes to mind when we talk about asset management. We can improve our financial status in three ways, either we earn more, spend less, or do a combination of the two. Spending less isn’t difficult. It may be unpalatable but it isn’t difficult. I usually only buy things that are in bulk and on sale. I always watch the newspapers to see where I can get the best bargains. That works great for groceries; for non-food items you can do comparison-shopping on the web. Surprisingly, I have found I can get some camera equipment for less at a local store verses on the web. Spend less by paying off credit cards completely and on time. If your card carries a finance charge, drop it and get a promotional card that charges 0% interest. Read the fine print. Some new cards will charge nothing for balance transfers but will attach a finance charge to new purchases. You want the 0% charge on new purchases. Usually these kinds of cards only charge 0% as an introductory rate; after 6 months they’ll start charging some finance cost. The way to avoid that is get a new promotional card every six months or so.

Your financial status can also be improved by getting an additional job. I’ve done this but it gets old quick. I found it works fine though if the second job is temporary or is of short duration.

Time and money are the most obvious assets. Still, you have others such as intellectual property or skills, and social capital. If you have skills that are in demand you can tutor or otherwise sell your skills as a consultant. If you are a gregarious creature and know a lot of people, you can leverage your knowledge into a job like lobbyist, facilitator, or team leader.

No discussion of asset management would be complete without talking about health, possibly your most important asset. Instead of eating fast food, try good food made fast. You can save time here by automating your lifestyle with food processors and blenders. Exercise will not only improve your health but some say it even helps us think and work better. This is particularly true for people with disabilities.

Whatever your assets, make sure you make optimum use of them. Whether you are competing against other students or fellow employees, or even self-employed, it just makes sense to be the best possible. Besides, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a question on asset management at your next job interview.

About the author

Gene Rodgers Photo Gene Rodgers has been a quadriplegic since age 17. Since then he has earned several college degrees, worked in several states, earned a Switzer Fellowship, and now works as a private contractor.