Forget Real Estate – Invest In Yourself
By Careers Expert
Wednesday, May 10, 2017.
When people think about investment, they’re usually thinking about assets into which they can sink cash. But the best investment you can possibly make is in yourself. No, this isn’t some vague, New Age mantra; it’s an actionable piece of advice that will work wonders for your ability to be self-confident and achieve your goals. If you want to reach your full potential, then it’s time to think deeply about the ways in which you can start investing in yourself to get big future returns.
The evils of procrastination
A lack of investment is a wasted opportunity, and nothing saps such potential faster than procrastination. Procrastination is going to harm you in so many ways; not only will it prevent you from achieving your goals, but it will affect your mood, making you feel guilty and unworthy – which usually ends up in you procrastinating more, thus setting off a vicious cycle! Invest in yourself by getting started now. Stop wasting time watching vapid television shows, browsing social media, daydreaming – set out your goals, figure out how you’re going to achieve them, and get to work.
Developing your skills
If you don’t invest time in developing your current skills – and learning new ones – then you could be wasting a lot of your potential. The stronger and more varied your skills, the more likely it is you’ll be able to excel at a professional level as well as a personal one. You should always be looking to expand your knowledge with books and articles. You should be open to opportunities to further your education, whether it be via MBA distance learning, workshops, training programs, or even education videos online. When you develop new skills, you can find new ways to approach your other skills. Learning a new language, for example, can actually help you better wield your native tongue.
Getting creative
It’s probably not true that everyone is a potential creative genius just waiting to have their potential fulfilled, but it’s true that everyone should give their creative side some exploration. Investing time in your creativity might not result in your writing a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel or creating a seven-figure painting, but it can help decrease stress levels and develop your less linear thinking, which will come in very handy when it comes to the sort of problem solving that experts and entrepreneurs often need to engage in. Nurturing your creative side can also take the form of experimenting with cooking or gardening.
A healthy body and mind
Some would argue that the best way to invest in yourself is to look after your health – and there’s certainly a strong case to be made there. After all, when you invest time and effort into getting physically fit, you’ll see a return on that investment in the form of a longer life, sharper thinking, better moods, and a whole host of other benefits. Stop seeing exercise as a chore, or as some sort of punishment. It’s a way of treating yourself the way you deserve to be treated. It’s a means towards improving yourself if you feel you haven’t earned your keep thus far.
