All of us possess some or the other innate qualities. Ones that define us and help us stand out from others. But how often do we think about harnessing them or making the most out of them? Not very often! We invest our time and resources in things around us in order to stay relevant and fit in but what if we start investing in ourselves? We strongly believe that all of us have some other special gifts to share with the world. If you take out time to notice, build, develop and polish them, you attain a reward like no other. Why? Because when you do this, you automatically become the best version of yourself. That’s what we mean by the term “start investing in yourself”. Investing in yourself implies looking out for yourself and knowing that you are worth your time, money, and resources.
As uplifting it may sound, one must know that it isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s an ongoing process. One that demands you to be present for yourself every moment. And reaping its rewards is the most difficult. For it, one must trust his or her capabilities. Investing in yourself isn’t possible without the belief that you are capable of more than what you are currently.
You are your biggest investment! But how does one start investing in themselves? Here’s the answer
- Keep yourself fit
This one is a no-brainer! Staying fit is one of the best investments you can make for yourself. Consistent exercise is directly proportional to ideal weight, increased creativity, improved productivity, good mood, and most importantly, a healthy you! Do not bring in unnecessary constraints by thinking that the gym is the only way to sweat out. You can invest your time in any form of exercise. It may be dancing, Zumba, a sport you love, yoga, a walk in a nearby park, or anything you are comfortable with. We leave the choice to you but exercise, you must.
- Gain clarity on your goals
The goal is the needle in the compass of life. They are the things you wish to accomplish in your life. Until you are unaware of what you are willing to achieve, how will you set yourself on the path of attaining it? Reflect on what success means to you and what are your goals. This is important as it gives enough clarity on which direction to head. Analyze them, visualize them and note them down on paper. This will automatically set you right to achieve them. Once you are well introduced to your goals, channel your entire energy towards achieving them.
- Build up learning agility
The only being that adapts, survives to change! The willingness and ability to continue learning throughout is more important now than ever. The world is changing at a fast pace and it demands learning agility from us. To adapt and adjust to the fast-growing environment. If you are willing to make the most of your capacity, make sure you are open to new learning experiences and adapt to them.
- Unlearn when needed
We are in an era where change is constant. While it is vital to keep learning in order to keep up with the world around us, it is equally important to unlearn! While it may sound like a negative term, unlearning is the process of coming out of shells of what we already know. It is what expands our horizon of knowledge. Unlearning vacates the space that we have allotted to certain knowledge and skills in the brain and creates space for something new to you. It is an exercise that opens up to new experiences and makes us even more adaptive.
- Overcome your bad habits
Bad habits are nothing but negative behaviour patterns that crawl back, again and again, to miserably affect our productivity. Gradually these habits have the potential to hamper our emotional, mental, physical and social well being. We all have habits that inhibit us from being the best. It could be the habit of procrastination or the habit of not being punctual. The goal is to overcome them. Although breaking free from a bad habit can be an arduous task, once achieved, it can be a very liberating experience. The goal should be to replace each bad habit with its opposite. Once attained, you will have better control over your life.
- Broaden your horizon
We often doubt our capabilities and limit ourselves from expanding our own horizons. By expanding our horizons, we mean being open to a range of new knowledge, understandings and experiences. Ones that can uplift the way you think and can update your perspective from time to time. You can expand your horizons in different ways like reading, gaining experience, adopting a routine, networking, learning, updating, and many such activities. We leave that up to you but you should be open to newness and instil the learnings of those experiences in your life.
Investing in yourself is a process of small, constant, and gradual improvements that one has to bring in just in order to be more, do more, and, grow more. It truly brings out the best in you and makes an extensive difference in the way you are living your life. By investing in yourself, you introduce yourself to holistic well-being and thrive on all fronts of life. The extent to which you are willing to invest in yourself is directly proportional to how much you will succeed in your life. Your future is largely determined by your willingness and ability to invest in yourself today! So go on and remember, that nothing but you, is your biggest investment.
