Invest in Yourself
Five Big Reasons Why
Want to level-up and simplify while increasing margin in your work and life? The best way to do so is by investing in yourself.
With pressures and to-do’s rising in the workplace, don’t lose cite of some important health factors. We are growth-minded social beings who thrive on expanding, making and doing, on being connected and supported. Mental isolation regarding the direction we’re going, our goals, motivation, and momentum leads to lack of focus and to diluted work / life satisfaction.
Why Most Don’t Invest in Themselves
The number one reason why people don’t accomplish or even SET vision and goals is that they simply don’t or won’t go ahead alone, and they don’t have anyone with whom to truly focus and collaborate, to brainstorm and bounce ideas, strategy, timelines and tactics . What to do? Consider hiring a coach or aligning yourself with a mentor with whom you meet regularly. Being coached to be self-aware and measured, to contribute, and to create margin for ourselves for creativity and recreation, for relationships and rest is a GAME-CHANGER.
The benefits of investing in ourselves most often gets lost in the shuffle, becoming just another something we hope to do and get to someday. Time and money are the top reasons we give for not investing in the very things that enrich our lives most. We cite time and money not because we actually can’t afford investing or actually cannot make time for it, but because we fail to recognize our own value and potential. The fact is that we benefit significantly from the simple act of trying something new. From digging in and focusing. From taking a stand and saying THIS is important. I am important, as are my vision and goals. The growth that comes from self-investment far outweighs time and money investment virtually every time.
The Benefits of Investing in Self
There are numerous benefits gained from investing in ourselves. Here are the top 5:
1. Self-Investment Boosts Confidence
We hesitate to say yes to investing in ourselves because we feel it’s frivolous, won’t help, or our first inclination is to invest in everyone and everything else before we consider ourselves. Saying yes and making an initial investment — whether it’s signing on for a workshop, hiring a coach, or hiking a mountain — improves our outlook and offers great confidence. When you combine increased confidence with an upgraded outlook, you can achieve more than you dreamed you could. It all begins with deciding to invest in yourself. If that’s not something you would typically do, it may be time to make decisions in a new and more assertive way. Research shows that those who spend 5+ hours on self-development each week are more likely to feel life satisfaction and meaning, which in turn increases happiness and wellbeing.
2. Self-Investment Opens Career Opportunity
Investing in yourself brings immense career benefits. YOU are your greatest asset and the bottom line is, developing aptitude and skill-sets boosts your market value. Employers and people in general look for great investments who are self-starters that differentiate themselves from the competition.
3. Self-Investment Builds Networks & Connections
Signing up for a course or workshop helps grow your network. The people you know may create collaborations and business opportunities down the line. Use your investment in self to connect to others, and do so with a reciprocal mindset. What can you do for this person or that person? How can you help?
4. Self-Investment Helps grow Grit, Resilience & Follow-Through
The world is grand and diverse, a place where things move fast. Demands are up, and our work lives continually evolve. Expanding your confidence and skill-sets will make you more flexible, self-motivated, and possibility-thinking. Life-long Self-Investment helps us maintain a resilient growth mindset where set-backs and roadblocks are seen simply as part of the week.
5. Self-Investment Keeps Us Sharp, Relaxed & Strong
There are no greater assets than a relaxed healthy body and mind. Life-long investment in rigor and self-development promotes both physical and cognitive health. Ongoing creative and cognitive challenge, when combined with minimally-rigorous fitness 3 to 4 days per week has been called the fountain of youth.
Two studies cited by Scientific American outlines the many benefits ongoing self-investment and learning delivers over the course of our lifetimes. Stress is reduced, social connections are maintained, the body and mind are both strengthened, and our own sense of gratitude, agency, efficacy, and potential is enhanced.
No More Delay — The Best Time is Now
If you’re on the fence about investing in your own growth or an adventure that would enrich your life, DON’T PASS IT UP! Most people continuously tell themselves they’ll do X, Y, or Z someday, and someday never comes due to their own inaction. There will never be a time in life when each of us is not busy or doesn’t have many placed for money. We have to have resolve and be a bit stubborn to make things happen in life. Don’t let naysayers or circumstance hold you back. You can be scared, unsure, an unlikely candidate perhaps in way, but get creative and find a way to go ahead anyway. The experiences you’ll enjoy and outcomes you’ll achieve far outweigh money — that’s the truth.
To climb a mountain, any mountain, you have to know where to start and have proximal goals to get to the top. Where’s base camp? How far are you going? Where will you rest along the way? What are you equipping yourself with? It’s best to have someone to talk to ABOUT your plans — someone to say Really? Tell me more. Let’s flesh that out. It might be best to camp here. What’s your idea?
The bottom line is that when you’re embarking on any adventure — a career, a climb, a roadtrip, anything — it’s better to do it TOGETHER. We’re social beings. We outsource our mental well-being and mental-optimization in part to others. We’re hard-wired to do exactly that. So:
Invest in yourself, your life & well-being.
Invest in building a team that provides you with support, specificity and accountability regarding your priorities, where you’re going, and the milestones toward which you’ll move to get there. The benefits are long-game & tremendous. The benefits are huge.
Good luck and get busy busy busy with your mountain.
Build Presence, Contribution, and Executive MO at www.merikrueger.com. Thanks for reading!
Originally published at https://www.merikrueger.com on January 8, 2024.
