I’m not an electronic gadget guy (I didn’t run out and get an iPhone) but I am a fan of well made mechanical things. I’ll probably be the last guy shooting film while the world around me goes digital; I love my Leica rangefinder - the feel of those hand-assembled German gears pulling the film though the camera’s perfectly engineered sprockets.

But things like this are expensive, so they’re an occasional indulgence. When I glance down at my wrist I see my daily watch: the venerable Casio W-201. Date, time, alarm, stopwatch, water resistant to 50 meters. Accurate to fifteen seconds per month, and the battery lasts ten years without changing.

And the best part is that it costs about fourteen bucks at Wal-Mart.

So if I make a big windfall profit on my next sale how is it going to change my life? Well, not much, actually. I’m happy with the watch I have right now and buying a newer, more expensive one isn’t going to make me happier. This is a good proxy for my life in general - or at least the philosophy that I aspire to live by. Being happy with the here-and-now helps me greatly in trying to be good at what I do.  As a real estate investor it gives me the patience to do good long-term deals that build wealth, and the courage the take prudent risks when the right opportunity arises.

So for now I’m sticking with my plastic watch. And as an added bonus: whether I’m pushing a broom or swinging a golf club it’s so light I don’t notice it’s there!