If you’re just starting your career, you’re reading this at the right time. If you’re further along on your career path, it’s never too late to start investing in yourself.
Self investment is the best thing you can do to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in just about every area of your life.
When you invest in yourself, you feel better. When you feel better, you not only perform at a higher level, but treat yourself and others with more care. Our lives are not compartmentalized. How we feel about our work impacts our relationships; with ourselves and others. How we feel about ourselves impacts how we choose to take care of ourselves, which ultimately affects how we feel. Get the picture? It’s all inter-connected. But when we choose self investment, we ensure personal growth. That growth is what keeps us going and its impact is felt across all areas of our lives.
However, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money to self-invest. Here are 4 free ways to start investing in yourself today:
1. Meditate:
If you’re not used to being still, this can be a scary proposition. Deep stillness, even for a few moments, can actually create an overflow of emotion. Ever reached the end of a yoga class and find yourself with tears in your eyes during shavasana? You may know what’s causing the emotion, but if you don’t, that’s okay too. Being okay with not knowing means we’re simply accepting what is rather than fighting against it. See where the stillness takes you in whatever practice you commit to. Once you become more skilled, you’ll develop the inner strength that offers you comfort and confidence when you need it most.
2. Learn more:
The more you read, the more you know. Don’t put off what you can easily learn today. Saving money to go back to school or taking a class is great. But until then, the internet is rife with information you can acquire for free (or close to it). Check out Skillshare.com for 3 months of learning under a dollar.
3. Stop wasting time:
It happens to all of us. Social media can be so distracting that we lose track of time and unintentionally procrastinate on intended tasks. When we realize an hour has gone by, we actually have to remind ourselves that we still haven’t sent that email or looked up the information we set out to find. It can happen so easily in fact that you have to consciously work against it. Be very aware of your time, what your doing with it and how it is benefiting you. It is, after all, your most precious commodity, so use it wisely.
4. Keep your commitments:
Sure, you have obligations to friends and family. But I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the commitments you make to yourself. Resolutions aside, telling yourself you want to achieve something and not following through is nothing short of self sabotage. It will silently eat away at your confidence, self-image and capabilities. Make YOU your most important commitment.
Start investing in yourself today and see the positive changes in all areas of your life.
