The 5 Best Ways To Invest In Yourself
?People always tell you the importance of diversifying your assets. Stocks, deposits, property, business- all worthy of investment. But why not make the best and possibly most exciting of assets, and start investing in yourself? And I’m not suggesting this is a Gen Y, self-absorbed, self-as-brand kind of way. Your well-being is crucial and requires a lot of work, across a variety of areas. The pay-off might not be monetary or immediately apparent, but across a lifetime, some careful investment will pay off several times over. Here are the five best ways to invest.
Health
Spending money on your health more often than not feels like a burden, rather than an investment. Dental care, proper rehabilitation of an injury, treating an illness; they’re expensive and feel like wasted money. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is of course money you would prefer to spend on something else, there is nothing in this world more worthy of your money than your health, and the earlier you spend it, the more money you will save in the long run.
Happiness
Ah, happiness. The commodity we’re all searching for, that elusive beast. The current obsession with happiness has spawned a million dollar industry of self-help books and therapies and silver bullet programs. And if it works for you, then who am I to naysay it. For me, I invest my money in good food and exercise. I don’t believe life is meant to be happy one hundred percent of the time, but I do believe that you cope with ups and downs more easily if you eat right, sleep well and can get physically active a couple of times a week.
Learning
By learning, I am by no means solely suggesting further education. Higher education is a great investment, not just for your finances but also as a fulfilling life experience, but it’s not for everyone. Like a lot of people, school left me cold and university provided a framework within which I could justify drinking beers at noon. Investing in learning, however, is a different story. It could be anything- buying a book in something you find interesting, taking a course at community college, starting a garden, finding out more about new people you meet. Learning is for a lifetime and investing in your interests is never going to leave you cold.
Engagement
Branching on from a continuing interest in learning and discovering new skills is finding something that engages you, and pursuing it Is it work? For some it is, for others, work is the nine to five that allows them to enjoy the rest of their life. Is it your hobby? Whatever engages your mind and brings you into the world, work out what it is and ensure you set aside space for it. Investing in it will keep you happy and keep your productive- shutting down other parts of your life can leave you in a slump. Aiming to be well-rounded and your full self is a crucial investment.
Time
Our most precious commodity, and sometimes our most thoughtless investment. When used well, time is our most enjoyable investment. Spending time with our loved ones is the best investment you can make- for your happiness, for your health, for your learning. It is our reward for the work we do. Sometimes, it can also be necessary to invest in some time for yourself, to return to your usual productive levels. A massage, a meditation class, a drive to your favourite spot. Whatever it is, investing that hour amongst the humdrum and chaos is never wasted. It is an investment that will always return a hundred fold.
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