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.低调生活

    生活中到处充满诱惑，一不小心就可能为了

    一时的满足而自毁前程。我们都有购买各种新奇的高科技玩意儿，花上一大笔钱到城里过一次真正的奢华生活，或为了我们负担不起的豪华汽车而向银行贷款的冲动。欲望得到满足时的感觉确实很好，但是过后你将为自己的大手大脚而付出惨痛的代价。

    2.让自己的钱“动”起来

    储蓄是个不错的主意，但是要更好地利用手头的钱，你就必须让它“动”起来。是40岁退休还是整天忙碌到60岁，就看你能否很好地进行投资。

    今天在“简单美元”网站上看到的一个帖子令我陷入沉思。按照帖子作者特伦特的观点，如果一个人在20岁左右把工资收入的20%投资在S&P指数基金上，到他40岁左右的时候，他投资的利息收入就相当于目前的工资水平，这样的话，他就可以既不减少收入又可提前退休了。

    英明的投资决定是通向经济独立的最佳途径，而且是每个人都有能力一试的。毫无疑问，这一点是我自己在今后的生活中将重点关注，同时也是我这篇文章所要重点阐述的问题。

    3.活到老，学到老

    人要快乐，就必须不断充实自己。而让自己充实的最好办法则莫过于活到老学到老。我不是说你要努力考取一个博士学位，或者每天花两个小时勤奋读书。走出自己生活的“小圈圈”所学到的任何东西，都可以称之为自我充电。其中最重要的一点就是要虚心，要学会用新观点新角度看待事物。

    知识是一点一滴慢慢积累起来的。也许一开始你觉得学到的都是微不足道的东西，但是随着时间的推移，常年积累起来的知识将把你变成一个更睿智、更宽厚、更有趣的人。

    4.发展恒久的人际关系

    假设你已经拥有一切你想要的东西，但是却没有人能够和你分享的话，你会感到开心吗？发展同亲人朋友之间的感情和友谊是我们生活中最大的快乐来源。千万别忘了他们哦！

    花点时间培养和享受和亲朋好友间的美好感情，是能否长期感到幸福快乐的必要保证。一个人如果没有谁让他觉得在乎的话，那么不管他有多么成功，他的生活也必然是一团糟。

    5.为自己的理想而努力奋斗

    就算你的生活有多么完美，你也应该经常为自己设定一个努力想要达到的目标。生活若是失去目标的话，你也就失去进取的动力而停滞不前。我自己碰到这种情况的时候，我会觉得自己好像成为生活的奴隶。而解决这个问题的最佳办法，就是为自己设定一个目标，并为之不断努力。

    生活中有很多事情不在我们掌握之中，但是为既定的目标而努力，令我们集中精力为生活中积极的一面而努力，也为我们将来的成功奠定基础。不管你的兴趣在哪里，从现在开始尽管放手去做。正如老子所言：“千里之行，始于足下。”

    6.保持健康

    每个人都只有一个身体，一旦坏掉，再怎么神通广大也无用武之地。多做运动，别让自己的身体生锈。不要去碰那些对身体有害的东西和不健康的食品。虽然抵抗诱惑时那种自我否定的心情确实是挺难受的，但是想到以后能够有一个健康的身体，这么点牺牲又算得了什么呢？