What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “investing”? Probably investing in stocks. But what about investing in yourself?
Learning to invest in yourself may be the most profitable investment you will ever make. Whether you choose to do so in your physical health, emotional health, education, goals, relationships, or creative pursuits, it will provide a great return for you in myriad ways.
Here are 18 great ways to invest in yourself:
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Table of Contents
Take Responsibility For Your Own Life
A good reason you should spend your time and money to invest in yourself is that no one else will.
It’s your life, and everything you have or do with it is your responsibility. Not your parents. Not your friends. Not your boss or even your partner.
You are the person who makes decisions about your life. You are the only person responsible for your success; your life will directly result from your choices and decisions.
An understanding of this significant thing will greatly boost your life.
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Set Clear Goals
Going through life without clear goals might probably yield no profit. Therefore, a great way to invest in yourself is by thinking about things you’d like to achieve, setting goals, and taking action.
These goals do not have to be high and overwhelming, and you can start with simple and attainable goals.
A helpful way to set and achieve these goals is using S.M.A.R.T. criteria. This abbreviation stands for:
- Specific.
- Measurable.
- Attainable.
- Realistic.
- Time-bound.
To ensure that you meet your goals, try to set goals that will be all of the above.
If you want to learn more about S.M.A.R.T. goals, check this awesome book by S.J Scott called “S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple – 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals.”
Read also: Tips To Build Self-discipline As A Nigerian
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Nurture Your Mind And Body
A good way to invest in yourself is by taking care of your physical and emotional health. Exercise, eat healthy products, and drink a lot of water. Get enough sleep, reduce stress, and learn how to manage it. When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, talk to a specialist and prioritize mental health.
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Build And Keep Relationships.
Invest time in building and keeping relationships. Keep in touch with friends and family. Doing that makes the relationship meaningful down the line.
Make time for the people in your life by spending time with family and having fun with friends. This will enrich your life by introducing you to new ideas, hobbies, and experiences.
Relationships are a very important part of our life, and you can either make it a horrible or a happy experience. The choice is yours to make.
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Find A Coach Or A Mentor.
Having someone to be accountable to is a great hack to productivity and one of the wisest ways you can invest in yourself. This can be achievable by hiring a coach or a mentor who will help you speed up your professional and personal growth.
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Understand Financial Freedom.
Invest in yourself by reading financial freedom books and blogs and listening to podcasts to learn how money work.
This will help you understand how to make, save money, and grow your income.
My favorite books on financial freedom that gave me a whole new perspective on how money works are:
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki.
- The Richest Man in Babylon, by George S. Clason.
- The Smart Money Woman, by Arese Ugwu.
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Embrace Lifelong Learning
Education does not end after leaving the classroom. Learning goes beyond those four walls, and upgrading your knowledge should never be a limit.
Never stop learning. Be ready to embrace new possibilities and experiences. Invest in yourself by acquiring new skills to occupy your mind, develop your creative thinking and unlock opportunities. Read books, peruse articles, and watch T.E.D. talks or YouTube videos. Search and enroll for courses online.
These kinds of investments will enrich your life in many wonderful ways.
Read also: How To Create A Positive Learning Environment For Yourself
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Embrace Positivity
You must have a positive mindset, and you can do this by creating positive vibes. Invest in yourself by eliminating toxic relationships and learning to minimize negativity. Learn when to say ‘No’ and when to say ‘Yes.’ Staying on the positive side will improve your life and make it better.
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Reward Yourself
You don’t have to wait for your parents to praise you or a friend to pat you on your back before you can reward yourself. You have “you” to do that.
Set S.M.A.R.T. goals and remember to reward yourself with every milestone reached. This will give you the needed motivation and desire to keep going.
Achieve those goals and appreciate yourself. Practicing the act of rewarding is a great way to invest in yourself, which will improve your productivity and personal growth.
Join the conversation on our Whatsapp Community as we discuss everything you need to grow and the necessary steps you need to take to invest in yourself positively.
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Keep A Journal
Many people cringe at the idea of writing in a journal daily. You may feel like how will scribbling in a journal every day improve your life? But journaling can be a great way to invest in yourself and an important element of self-care as it forces you to be more self-reflective.
Writing out your thoughts and feelings helps you manage anxiety better, reduce stress, identify issues and analyze problems. It’s also a great place to practice gratitude and set goals.
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Procrastinate Less
Whether it is waiting until the last minute to submit an article or not doing your laundry yet, we all procrastinate.
You can deal with this by choosing to invest in yourself rightly. Please list all the things you’ve been procrastinating on doing and then devise a way to get them done. Starting with the easier tasks before tackling the harder ones will enhance your chance of completion.
You can as well work with a daily to-do list. But, again, it helps to procrastinate less.
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Break A Bad Habit
What bad habit do you have that you tell yourself you will stop year after year? Whether it is spending money excessively, not managing your time well, or spending too much time on your phone, you don’t have to feel guilty. We all have bad habits.
Here’s a way to finally break that bad habit. Please list the reasons why you want to break the habit and all the steps you will take to eliminate it.
It won’t come easy, but you must persevere and start replacing the negative with positive habits.
A good book to read on building good habits and breaking bad ones is “Atomic Habits” by James Clear.
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Practice Gratitude
You do not have to wait till Thanksgiving before you can practice gratitude. Find out where you are and be grateful for your growth. Keep a record of all you’ve achieved and be thankful. You can also be grateful for all you have and the people in your life.
A great way to invest in yourself is by practicing gratitude. Constant practice will give you peace and make you comfortable with where you are at the moment.
Read also: Ways to show appreciation to friends and colleague
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Strengthen Your Current Skills
Invest in yourself by constantly improving your professional skills through mastering. When you constantly improve your skills, you become a better professional who can make a career out of his skill with a salary increase or find a better job that pays well.
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Attend Seminars And Workshops
Attending seminars and workshops is an opportunity to invest in yourself. It is also a way to grow your network. Take the time to expand your network by connecting with professionals who can help you get where you want to go.
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Practice Decluttering
You can invest in yourself by creating a better place around you. An organized home or personal space will help you relax, enjoy and provide a positive environment for personal growth.
Cut out the clutter in your life. I mean the things that no longer serve you or make you happy.
Decluttering your room, drawers, closet, schedule, habits, goals, mind, and even your social media accounts can give you room to breathe, enhancing creativity and productivity.
Here’s a very good book about decluttering life: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
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Practice saying “No.”
Practice saying No. It’s okay to say no to things you don’t like or want to do. You are free to decline if something truly does not interest you or align with your values. You may feel you are letting others down, but it’s worth it.
Invest in yourself by knowing your limits and respecting them. Set boundaries, stay committed to them, and start saying yes to only people and things that make you happy.
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Give Yourself A Break
You already know the importance of self-care, but how often do you make time for this in your daily life?
Permit yourself to take a break from watching Netflix to simply enjoying a warm shower or going on a weekend getaway.
Taking a break is key to avoiding burnout and a chance to recharge as a person. However, you should never feel guilty about doing so.
Conclusion
Investing in yourself means making small, continual improvements that enable you to become the best version of yourself. It means you are putting time, money, and other resources to better your current life and also your future.
These little improvements can lead to long-term positive change. They can help you earn more money or improve your career prospects. They can build your confidence, which can help you pursue your dreams and open doors for new opportunities.
Your willingness and ability to invest in yourself now will largely determine your future. Therefore, it is important that from now on, you are aware of the power you have over your life by your decisions.
Remember, an investment in yourself is the greatest one you can make.
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About the Author
There is beauty in doing what you love; for me, it is writing. My name is Agnes Ajadi, an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan studying Communication and Language Arts. I’m a self-improvement blogger and content writer. When I’m not writing, I’m probably lying in a field of books.
About Author
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1 comment
Great piece