Put time to good use

Vivek Bhatia

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest — said Benjamin Franklin. I truly believe in this statement and hence have been making efforts to gather more and more knowledge during this self-isolation phase. I had always been curious to learn about share markets for quite a long time. I was inclined towards it because I felt it would make my financial portfolio diverse and strong. Also, it would be good to have exposure in equity apart from regular safe instruments.  However, juggling between office and home, I was unable to take out time for the same.

Before Covid-19, the markets were booming. As soon as the pandemic hit, markets crashed and were at an all-time low. Hence, I thought this lockdown will be the perfect time to initiate my learning process and start investing in my future too.

I also wanted to inculcate reading habits and have taken steps in this direction too. At present, I am reading The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham to get insights into the share market. It is helping me to invest wisely and is increasing my knowledge bank too. Additionally, I keep a tab on the market trends during the day via the respective websites.

Besides, focussing on these activities, I am also utilising the quarantine period to spend time with my wife, Shweta, and 18-month-old daughter, Vaagmi. We play, sing rhymes and dance together. The household chores also take up a lot of time and my wife and I are trying to manage everything.

All in all, I am happy that I am putting my time to good use in this lockdown by learning a new skill and I am sure it will prove to be beneficial in the long run.

Bhatia is an associate director with a global information provider firm