4 Ways to Invest in yourself
11,000 people have lost their jobs so far in New Zealand due to COVID. 10,000 of which were women making up 19% of the general population. 2020 has been rough. A year of great uncertainty and as we approach a new season I have learned that more than anything, now is the time to invest in yourself.
Why should we invest in ourselves?
We have been given one life and as cheesy as that sounds, it’s a fact. Warren Buffett explains a similar analogy about the body using a car as an example. A genie visits him one day with a brand new car however there is one catch. This car has to last a lifetime. It cannot be replaced and you can’t buy a new one. One vessel to rule them all. We often forget about life and how truly precious it is. We go day after day without much thought to it sometimes which is why we must try to make the most of it by giving ourselves the best life we can live.
Health and Fitness
Everyone wants to be healthy and everyone wants to be fit but in order to create and maintain these habits, it must be sustainable. There is a natural science to how working out and eating clean effects the functions of the brain. Have you ever eaten a whole pizza and felt completely horrible afterward? What you supply to your body greatly determines how you feel, think, and perform. Working out is a great stimulant for releasing endorphins and helps with delivering nutrients and oxygen to different tissues in the body. Over time exercise also improves your cardiovascular system and in doing so gives your body more energy to tackle daily tasks. A diet doesn't necessarily mean steamed chicken breasts and vegetables, it means that you are eating well-balanced meals to give your body what it needs to operate efficiently.
Learning and Development
Online courses are a great way to upskill and learn new things. I have been using a site called Udemy which contains an incredible range of courses for all different levels. Progress is a very important factor in life. I believe this is because change is a result of it. The feeling of achievement and success is one of the greatest in the world. Apart from love and passion that is. I know a lot of people tend to jump before they can walk. What I mean by this is that when people start a new hobby they often go at it too hard and end up not following through. Similar to working out, most people start at 110% for the first week and then give up. The trick is to take smaller steps where you can measure success and re-iterate when you start to get comfortable. This way you achieve smaller goals that grow bigger over time. So always remember to start small.
Investing and Financial Freedom
Personally, a secondary income should be anything but earned income. This can include investments in mutual funds, buying property, and so on. Secondary income ensures that you are in a safe, secure position financially for hard times to come. It is a rule of thumb to have at least 3 months of expenses saved as an emergency fund. It is very important to invest in your future and over time with compound interest, your investments will prosper.
Self-care and Personal Branding
Lastly on our list is self-care and indulgence. Things like your personal appearance and how you present yourself to other people. I like to refer to this as personal branding. Not only does it make you feel good but helps with building confidence as well. You deserve to treat yourself once in a while and not feel bad about it too. Having a balance is important in the world we live in because everything is always changing. We must remember to give ourselves a break now and then to enjoy the hard work we put in. Go have a spa day, to the beach in the summer, or whatever it is you enjoy doing. Just take a break.
In the past year alone, I have started practicing more of these four tips. In doing so, I was promoted, my writing improved and I was given an amazing opportunity to join a start-up publication. I also completed online courses that have given me the tools to help others with their fitness and nutrition goals. I found the courage to meet and interview amazing CEOs and I have inspired many people to get back into shape and pursue their dreams. They say opportunities come knocking but instead, I think we are in control of finding them.
