What does investing in yourself mean? It is much more than just acquiring money. It is about personal growth by improving your knowledge, training, learning how to manage money better, how to improve both physical and mental health, going out of your comfort zone, and doing everything that will set you up for success. Invest in yourself because this will always provide a very good return on investment.
Remember, the best investment is in yourself. Here are 10 tips that are sure to improve your life and push you forward.
1. Investing in yourself by nurturing your mind and body
A woman and man should both look after themselves. You must also exercise to stay healthy. Physical inactivity has been linked to many health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular issues. So join a gym and make sure that you go there at least four days in a week. Here’s one trick to exercising when you don’t want to – go for a walk or run for half an hour. Or, you can also play a fun outdoor sport with your friend.
Practice self-care and it will also make you look better. You can also get Botox for your face, which will reduce the visible signs of ageing, smooth out the wrinkles, and make you look younger.
The human body requires adequate nutrition, so it is essential that you eat well. You will feel better and your brain will also function better when you have adequate nutrition. Here’s what you can do –
- Take your food on time. Do not skip meals.
- Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Stay properly hydrated by drinking water frequently.
You don’t have to be a vegan (V) or vegetarian to stay healthy. But you must focus on eating healthy. Stay away from greasy foods.
2. Setting goals
You can change your life by setting goals. Identify a goal you want to achieve and write it down. This will help you focus better and form a strategy to achieve it. This will be the first step in helping you find out what you really want to do and how you will be able to achieve your dream. Make sure that your goal is –
- Measurable
- Specific
- Relevant
- Attainable
- Time-bound
3. Keeping a journal
Maintain a daily journal. Write down your feelings and thoughts. This will help you become more self-reflective. You will also be able to reduce stress if you have a way to express what you are going through. The journal will be your private space, so you can write whatever you want. No one is going to judge you. Journaling also helps you beat workplace burnout. Over time, it will help you become more self-aware. It may even help you identify your goals and dreams.
4. Developing your skills
All of us have specific skills. But we can all improve by acquiring new skills or improving the ones we already have. You can always learn something new. This is one of the best ways to invest in yourself. If you are planning to stay in the same field, then you may think of trying to become the ‘best’ in it.
On the other hand, if you are planning to change, then analyze what skills are going to be useful in the area where you want to get into. Skills like leadership, strong communication, emotional intelligence, team building, public speaking, business writing, and negotiating are useful everywhere. Work on them whenever you have free time.
Also read: 50+ High-income skills | Most profitable skills to learn in 2022
5. Utilising available training
This is one more great way if you are thinking of how to invest in yourself. Your mind stays sharp when you learn a new skill. And, of course, you will then have one more tool, which will help you perform better.
Reading books will help you. There are also many online courses and teaching resources online, which are going to help you. It is worth it to spend money on them. Attend seminars and workshops. This gives you an opportunity to not only learn new things, but you will also be able to meet and interact with some of the industry leaders. Perhaps, you can have one of them as your personal mentor who will guide you. Seminars and workshops also offer excellent networking opportunities.
6. Getting organized
Become better at organizing. Declutter to keep your home and the place of work neat. You will be able to save time because you will know where you have kept the essential things. You don’t have to search to find lost items. Spending time trying to find your stuff does not make any sense. The time you save by decluttering can be better invested.
7. Breaking your bad habits
All of us have bad habits. Many will procrastinate or lose focus. Others will spend too much time on social media or spend time doing things that are simply not productive. Then there are people with negative behavior patterns, which will cause harm to them both emotionally and physically.
Make every effort to break the bad habits. You will not only improve the quality of life, but will also be better poised to achieve success.
Also read: 8 Simple ways to organize your life
8. Read
Reading is a wonderful habit but unfortunately this habit is going down per year. You can know about so many things when you read. It broadens your mind and opens you to possibilities. Reading will not only help you in learning skill, but it may even help you live longer.
According to a study carried out by Yale University School of Public Health in 2016, those who read for just half an hour a day can live for around two more years on an average.
9. Find a creative outlet
According to a LinkedIn Learning report, ‘creativity’ was the most sought after job skill for 2020. Creativity is not about drawing a beautiful picture, making good music. It is much more than that. Creativity is about finding a unique solution to common problems or identifying a new way of doing something. We can all improve our creativity.
Start small. Give yourself a small task and try to find a new way of doing it. You can also play with your kids to improve creative thinking. The kids have very good creative skills.
Also read: How to become financially independent? | 10 Best ways to gain financial freedom
10. Get out of debt
The average American has a personal debt of more than $26,621 according to the Northwestern Mutual’s 2020 Planning & Progress Study. Debt can cause stress. It will hold you back from taking a career risk. Debt may even negatively affect relationships.
Try to lead a debt-free life. Find ways to invest money so you can reach into this pool when you need extra funds instead of taking a loan.
Also remember to spend quality time with your friends, family and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Help others whenever you can. Look after yourself and always seek different ways to become better.