How to Invest In Yourself

Today, let's talk about a subject close to my heart. It's been said that the best investment you can make is in yourself. Let's talk about how to invest in yourself with practical steps...

1. Read, read, read

The tip first on how to invest in yourself is to read. I've always thought of books as gold mines, and reading as a way to access so so many gold mines, each containing different things we can learn from. Each book brings you a new experience.

A non-fiction book can teach you a lot about our world and why things happen the way they do. It can also teach you a new skill or give you knowledge about a certain historical event or figure.
A fiction book can take you into a completely different world. Yes, the story may not be true, but many times they give you a glimpse into the human mind and how life events can shape us a social beings.

Reading is an investment you make to broaden your perception of the world. There is so much valuable knowledge you can enrich your life with by developing the habit of reading regularly.

You choose the topic, whether you want a how-to book or a book that chronicles the life of someone else and how they faced challenges. Whatever the case, you are left enlightened and with information that can potentially improve the way you handle certain issues from that moment on.

2. Exercise

Another key way to invest in yourself is to exercise. You want your body to be able to successfully tackle all the highs and lows of everyday life, but do you care for it? It's good to devote time each day and every week to exercise, even if it is a simple workout.

Exercising, although requiring some effort, is really refreshing and actually empowers you to work at your full potential. The key is to find the sort of workout routine that is achievable for you and that features exercises that you actually enjoy doing (e.g. don't run laps if you want to, play tennis or go to a dance class if that is more of your thing).

Exercise is a great way to build strength and stamina - not only for activities now, but also to reduce the risk of serious health problems in later life. If you find yourself struggling with a lack of energy, a balanced workout routine may be exactly what you need to invigorate you, as weird as it sounds!

Here's a post I wrote on 18 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health and Wellbeing...

3. Dress Well

You can also invest in yourself by dressing well.

It sounds vain...but it really isn't.

It's important to pay attention to personal appearance. Personal appearance plays a crucial role in first impressions and how serious people take you. You don't need to be dressed in expensive clothing; it's not necessary to live above your means. It simply means that you give thought to what you put on so that you look neat, clean and presentable. Throw in a bit of thoughtful personal style and you've created a signature look.

Our dressing is our way of expressing ourselves, it says a lot about our likes, dislikes and even our beliefs. So it's well worth putting the effort and thought into how you present yourself. Does your clothing align with the personal brand you're creating in other aspects of your life?

Investing time into picking your clothes when you shop and when they are in your wardrobe goes a long way to beautifying that personal brand, and it'll even gain you respect. You don't want to look sloppy or as though you wore the first items of clothing that you saw that morning.

4. Travel...even if it's in your backyard

Travelling is another wonderful way to invest in yourself. Travelling to other countries and even other continents is exciting if you can afford it, but often you don't have to go far to see something new. How well do you know your own country, your city?

That's why we talk about "travelling within your own backyard." Planning day trips to explore new places is a great way to know more about the area where you live, and also a wonderful way to collect experiences that will last a lifetime.

Travel opens your eyes to natural wonders and fills you with appreciation even as you become a tourist in your own city. That's why it's important to give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life sometimes, take yourself to a new location and be at peace with these new surroundings. There are so many places to be explored, even near you! You could make a list of the top places you'd like to travel and make arrangements to check those places out.

Travelling, especially to other countries or further away from home, gives you the opportunity to see life from another person's perspective, to eat new foods, to adopt a new culture for a while - to realize that the world is so much more than the relatively small area you call home. It's truly great for developing as a person, feeling more connected to others in different communities and learning to adapt to new situations better.

5. Set goals, it's huge.

Setting goals is another way to invest in yourself. Setting and working on goals really pays off - both as you get the desired results as well as the learning that takes place along the way.

Carefully pick a goal that will enrich and specifically improve an aspect of your life. Make it SMART, once your goal is specific make it Meaningful, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Related. Setting goals and putting the effort to reach them makes you a more patient, resilient person who is able to get what they want.

I feel like setting goals is one of the tips on this page that makes the most sense. Goals have that obvious future component that makes reaching out for them a more obvious investment.

If you aren't setting goals that reflect your beliefs, values and aspirations, then you're not really going anywhere. Goals motivate us to live better, because we've got something special to look forward to. They bring us many benefits, not just when you reach them, but as you train yourself and learn discipline.

Here's a quote I love: "Working towards a goal that matters to you and enjoying the steps along the way - that's a good life."

6. Meals Matter

You also invest in yourself by eating well. Eating well, like exercise prepares you to be able to produce a good day of work. If you don't eat well, it negatively affects your health. This applies whether you make unwise food choices, or whether you habitually skips meals, not giving your body the nourishment it needs to keep going.

Eating well is caring for yourself. So make it a point to eat a balanced diet, giving your body fruits and vegetables each day and keeping it hydrated. Doing so will make you stronger and more energised, it will give you the chemical power you need to prevent you from frequently losing concentration during the day. And eating healthy and heartily may even bring a smile to your face as you realise you are showing yourself love and proper care.

7. Challenge yourself: Collect moments not things

Last but by no means least, a great way to invest in yourself is to challenge yourself with new experiences. This means saying yes to things that scare you. Give yourself a chance to be brave, break down your fears and leave yourself with memories that will empower you in the future.

Although we normally think of investments as having to do with physical things and money, most of the points brought out in this post can really just be described as living wholeheartedly, living well.

The moments you invest in spending time with loved ones and trying out new things are moments that will help you create strong connections and even shape your future. Give yourself no other option but to push yourself past limits that would usually hold you back. By doing so you'll surprise yourself and open the door to a whole array of new emotions and realisations.

For instance, if you're normally scared of public speaking, do the thing that ridiculously scares you and volunteer for a part that involves public speaking. Have a go at a new hobby to see what it's like - perphaps you'll get a good story out of it at the very least.

All these experiences are an investment in your happiness and personal growth.