My first experience in self investment was during my NYSC year. I and several corpers participated in acquiring some certificates at a discounted rate for corpers so that we would have an edge in the labour market. Apart from my university degree, this was my first true step I took in investing in myself.
What is Investing In Yourself?
You might be wondering what the phrase ‘investing in yourself‘ means because it sounds very vague. Investing in Yourself is a broad term for improving your life. It can be your anything; in your career, skills, health, relationship, education or finances. Investment is way bigger than spending money. It is sacrificing your time and money to achieve a result that you will not see now, but surely you will reap the rewards in the long haul.
Below are a few ideas on how you can start investing in yourself:
- Join a gym
- Learn a new skill e.g painting, writing, cooking, etc.
- Listen to a podcast/lecture
- Take classes
- Further your education
- Travel and explore different cultures
Things I Wish I Knew About Investing in Myself
I have made some mistakes all in the name of investment and all these could have been averted if someone had adviced me better.
That is the essence of this post. I will try my possible best to be honest in this post as I tell you 10 things I wish I knew about investing in myself.
10 Things About Investing In Yourself.
- Don’t Delve Into Everything: I am Nigerian and we have a very high population of youths. Because of this, it is very common for the average Nigerian to delve into everything all for the sake of having an advantage over the next person. Note, I am not saying you should not diversify your skills. All I mean is know what you want to do and work to be better at it.
- Trust The Process: You need to learn that investing in yourself can give you immediate results but it can also take years before you see the results. I have learnt to trust the process because it is easier to talk about it.
- Put In The Work: Yes you know the particular aspect of your life you want to invest in but are you willing to do the work. How glamorous your future will largely depend on the work you are doing now. Putting in the work can mean volunteering so you can broaden your knowledge. As you volunteer, you should also know your worth and value.
- Learn Creativity: To stand out, you need to invest in your creativity. Creativity is responsible for a lot of things in our lives. Set out time everyday to work on creating new ideas that are unique, a business plan and even how to be better in self-investments.
- Never Stop Learning: The worst thing you can do to yourself is being comfortable in where you are now. Refusal to upgrade and be better will self-sabotage the your future that you have invested so much in. A perfect scenario is when you have invested in your health and after getting the desired results, you stop reading and learning about your health. The laxity can cause you to go back to your old habits.
- Have Mentors: Most people are not aware of the importance of mentors. Your path to investing in yourself doesn’t have to be a solo trip. If you want to invest in yourself, you need someone that will motivate and inspire you in that particular aspect of your life you are improving.
- Networking Is Key: Networking is one of the most underrated keys to being successful. The whole aim of investing is to be sow seeds for success in the future. Networking introduces you to people in your field that can open doors for you. A quote that I have kept with me is, ” Networking gets you in the door that your prayers opened for you”.
- Sort Out Your Finances: You need to know that your finances is as important as your health, relationships, etc. With the way our economy is, you need to sort out your finances otherwise there would be no money left for you to use and invest in yourself.
- Have Self-Confidence: Confidence in yourself will take you places where your networks can not. It is a form of self-love. Investing in confidence is what will help you in the future to leave an abusive relationship. It will be the factor in how you suceed in your careeer.
- Give Yourself a Break: Investing in yourself is very tasking and is a lifelong thing. When you deel your body, mind and inner being just needs a break, take it. Oftentimes, we get lost in being busy that we forget to just live. Take time off your schedule for self-care and keeping yourself sane.
Let us know in the comment section if these 10 tips were helpful. Don’t forget to share!
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Rachael Ebuh otherwise known as #pinchofchel is a Food and Lifestyle blogger. Passionate about food, spirituality, wild life conservation and human connection.
It is important that we never stop learning and investing in ourselves. Recently, I stopped my daily workout routine because I kind of became busy. The effect was detrimental. It can be difficult sticking with productive routines in our lives.
Rachael, lovely post.