5 Free Ways to Invest in Yourself
I’m very passionate about investing in myself and my brand, and I strongly encourage that if you aren’t already doing this, that you should start. Maybe you’re thinking, what does that even mean exactly? How do I invest in myself? Well, it’s all about becoming more knowledgeable in your area of expertise and bettering yourself as a person.
Take Care of Your Body
The first thing I say about investing in yourself is that you want to make sure your body is performing at its peak. By staying fit and healthy, you will become more productive, achieve more in life, and feel a lot better. Make sure that you’re both mentally and physically stable before you focus on other areas in your life. You have one body to live in, so make it the best and help it perform like a rock star. Fitness will contribute to your overall greatness, so invest in yourself as a person.
Network to Build Valuable, Long-lasting Relationships
Work towards gaining and building great relationships. Get to know others, become socially active in your community, and network. Go out and learn from other people, learn what they do for a living and how they can help you, and also tell them what you do and spread the word about your expertise. Show people how you can create value for them, and in the future, you never know when you can call on these people you network with to help you with whatever you’re trying to do.
Get to know people and gain good relationships — not only for business but also for you as a person. Go to different networking events and seminars, and put yourself out there to learn from successful entrepreneurs and individuals that have achieved great things in life. You can learn from their mistakes since these people have been in your shoes before and they’ve made it big and already achieved the goals that you want to achieve. Learn from these people and get to know them.
Stay Active on Social Media and Create a Following
Use social media to invest in yourself. I’m not talking about just checking out peoples profiles or posting random things on your page — be productive. Gain a following in your area of social media and be active in different groups that relate to your expertise. Post about what you do and who you are, create blog posts, podcast episodes, or share articles that pertain to those groups. Be active and communicate with others so that people recognize you for who you are and remember you for what you’re good at.
Social media allows you to create your own atmosphere for who you are and what you stand for. It can get overwhelming at times, but just pick a time during your day and try to offer 30 minutes to an hour where you can be active in some of these groups, create posts, and work to gain a following. Some of my biggest leads have been from people that never met me personally, but they knew who I was because of my posts and interaction. Stay active in social media.
Challenge Yourself and Try Things Outside of Your Expertise
Always be open to learning new things that are outside of your area of expertise. Step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. You will be surprised to learn things about yourself that you never knew before, and you might discover things that you’re really good at. For example, over three years ago I had signed with an agency and done some acting for commercials. I found out that I was a natural at being in front of the camera and the experience also allowed me to meet new people and become better at public speaking.
By trying something new, I found what I really love to do and was able to better myself as a person. Not only can it be fun to try new things, but it can also be good for your health. Believe it or not, studies have shown that the more you challenge your brain, the more it can reserve. Test your brain out and put it to work — study a foreign language, play the guitar, try a new hobby, take up acting, or read a new book. There are plenty of books out there that you can learn so much from to improve yourself, sharpen your expertise, and get inspired.
Think about what area you want to become an expert in or what you want people to know you for. Is it becoming a personal trainer or maybe a best-selling author? It doesn’t matter what it is, just pin point it and move forward with it. Your own first-hand experiences will teach you more than any book or article you can find online, so just get out there and do what you do best.
Find Mentors and Learn From Their Failure and Success
Invest in yourself and take the time to learn from others that have already achieved the goals you would like to achieve for yourself. Find mentors who are willing to help you and have the resources to get you where you want to be. Your experiences and knowledge will stay with you forever, and nothing can take that away. You don’t need to have tons of money to invest in yourself, so the only thing you can’t afford is to make excuses.
- BTA
