Diversification

Diverse, Diversity, Diversification: Nowadays, you hear these terms being bandied about in the media, by your neighbor, by hiring committees, by your parents. And these terms are important. Diversification is crucial in picking stocks to protect your initial investment and avoid gigantic losses, diversity is important in college and in an organization to provide a broad range of perspectives, and a diverse diet helps you get all the nutrients to live healthily. (Btw, speaking of stocks, today was A VERY GOOD day for the Yan portfolio, we're talking like 5% gains today.

However, how to make your EVERYDAY lifestyle diverse? Well, you gotta do a lot of different activities and plan it out well. It's like my friend Michael Notton (brilliant guy at Illinois) once told me, you gotta freshen things up to keep from feeling like a rat running in a maze.

So let's play a different version of (Jim Cramer does this on Mad Money) ARE YOU DIVERSIFIED?

1. If your day consists of going to work, eating a healthy breakfast, and watching TV, you're NOT diversified. Where's the exercise?

2. If your day consists of going to school, working out, catching up on news, AND doing all your homework, you're NOT diversified. Where's the social element of talking to people?

Things you should consider doing to diversify your days:

1. Volunteer: don't mean to be one to preach philanthropy cuz I don't do it that often, but it definitely is a huge mix-up to stop doing stuff for yourself once in a while.

2. Listen to the radio: yea, you know that dial for AM radio? Turn it a few times and see what's on. There can be more than just Rihanna and Kanye blasting in your car.

3. Go OUTSIDE... a lot of people have office jobs and it's understandable, but going to the park and just seeing a dog run after a squirrel can be refreshing. Seriously, it's called new stimuli.

4. Read a new magazine... just checked out IN FOCUS...not bad.