The best day in history to start investing was decades ago. The second-best day is today.

There are lots of reasons that people procrastinate investing. Most of the reasons come down to waiting for a more ideal season of life. When they have more time, more money, more knowledge, and more experience - that is when they’ll be able to really invest. But that philosophy keeps hard-working people from doing good things with their money. It also piles up years of wasted time.

The best way to start: Small.

You have to learn the process. Buy one stock, keep it for 30 days, and then sell it. Don’t worry about losses or gains, and don’t spend more than $50. But start. Once you see the process, you’ll discover that it’s not nearly as intimidating or impossible as you once thought.

Here are two simple investing principles to help you as you start investing:

1.    Save Your Money

You don’t have to save a lot, you just have to learn to defer buying today in order to gain rewards tomorrow. I’ve never met a good investor who wasn’t a good saver.

2.    Be Thoughtful and Intentional

Resist the urge or impulse of the “too-good-to-be-true” offering. Take your time. No good investor is ever in a rush to lose money. Do your research and learn what the right investments are for you and your portfolio.

You can’t wait for a more ideal season of life to become an investor. You’ll always be able to find good reasons to delay. The best thing you can do is start.

If you’re looking for practical help and inspiring direction, consider taking the Objective Measure Investment Essentials Course. This course will walk you through everything you need to know to get started investing so that you can secure your future for yourself and your loved ones.