New year, new me. Is this the thought doing the rounds in your head?
If it is, great, although I would suggest "new focus on me" as your mantra. Why? Because I believe that you are your greatest asset, and anything that will keep you functioning, healthy and happy is worth every dirham spent - as long as you clearly define what it is you're investing in and how you are measuring returns.
Here's what I mean. Chances are if you ask anyone what they're investing in, they'll rattle off all manner of things - property, stocks, bonds, start-ups - but I bet they won't say the single most important thing: themselves. Saying it is one thing and living by it is another - and it's so very important.
If I don't work, I don't earn. Plus, I'm becoming less valuable with time - my earning years are declining, and I'm at greater risk of various health problems. So anything that will keep me functioning well is a good thing.
This is one reason I invested in time with a personal trainer a few months ago. Unfortunately my fitness regime didn't last - a change in my family's routine means that I'd need to spend an additional hour and a half on the road each day if I want to hit the gym I joined.
This is self-defeating - I can't justify the additional stress of driving that much and the hours lost to my life to see my paid-up trainer, who hasn't seen me for months now. Instead, I'm justifying joining a different gym that fits into my current daily circuit - and writing off the money at the previous one. Ouch. But if that's what I need to do to keep myself in tip-top shape for decades to come, then I need to bite that bullet.
To be clear, there is a giant difference between real investment in your own human capital and justifying expenses. Going on a trip for some downtime or to explore a new part of the world can count as an investment in your well-being and continuous learning, but opting for 5-star luxury all the way is an expense. Or in my case, paying for time with a private trainer is an investment, but kitting myself out in the latest fitness apparel is an expense.
You don't need to spend big or make giant changes to take better care of yourself. Self-care is mostly about adopting great habits.
Here are other ways you can invest in yourself:
. Build your human capital by developing your knowledge base. Taking courses is one way of doing this. Another is simply setting time aside to read, learn and explore ideas and concepts. To get yourself excited, watch the video on the home page of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. I want to do all their courses on offer.
. Adopt healthy habits. Include flossing. Here's one reason why: scientists believe that gum disease releases potentially harmful bacteria into the bloodstream, which significantly increases the risk of heart disease.
We each have our own life, aspirations and talents. Spend time looking at your habits - your way of living, eating, and being - and figure out how you can work towards a better you by improving your self-care. Do you sleep well? Does your diet include green vegetables and fruit? Something as simple as steamed broccoli is thought to prolong life, or at least help have a better quality of life, because it's packed with nutrients that stave off cancer, tackle chronic inflammation and have many other benefits too. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, and luckily for me, brussels sprouts are too - I love them and eat them any time of year. What about avocado? Again, it's packed full of health and self-help.
Going back to your human capital, it's not only about learning. It's also about being able to earn more, or earn for longer. For many this is a must, as retiring at 60 or 65 is no longer an option. The good news is that studies find people who work into their twilight years are happier and have more disposable cash at hand.
The bottom line is that investing in yourself is your most profitable venture. You reap future returns and get a payoff right now.
Plus, your well-being will ensure the well-being of those who depend on you.
One of my brothers recently recorded a version of "What a wonderful life". You can hear it on my blog, finding-nima.com, and it's just perfect for this time of year. And just like the human body's journey through life, his version wasn't smooth and perfect. It gets off to a wobbly start before hitting its stride and then falters towards the end.
Invest in yourself now, today and every day, and keep the wobbliness at bay.
Nima Abu Wardeh is the founder of the personal finance website cashy.me. You can reach her at nima@cashy.me and find her on Twitter at @nimaabuwardeh.
Follow us on Twitter @TheNationalPF
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
THE%20SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20specs
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UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Premier League results
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0
Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3
Manchester United 3 Southampton 2
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0
West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0
Sunday
Watford 2 Leicester City 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Everton 0 Liverpool 0
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
