Photo courtesy Yogesh More from Pixabay.
Humans have evolved on this earth over a long period of time and have been able to survive and thrive in all types of situations and climates. It is their ability to adapt and bring about changes that have resulted in progress as compared to the other species on this planet. Over a period of time, they have developed tools for their advancement which has benefitted society. It is always the survival of the fittest.
In a similar way, a person has to invest in themselves to increase their knowledge and skills in order to progress in life. Investing is not only in financial investments like stocks, crypto, bonds, and other debt and liquid instruments as most of us are aware; it can be the steps a person takes for self-development that makes them lead them to a path of success. Investing in yourself leads to improvement in productivity and this helps in achieving various tasks and goals. There are a number of ways in which a person can invest in themselves and some of them are mentioned below-
- Set Goals-
These can be short-term and long-term goals. Think of the short-term goals for the year and these need not be very big. The goals have to bring improvement in your life gradually. These can be like auto paying the bills, improving productivity, taking an online course, walking more, eating out less, organizing your workplace, spending less time in front of the TV, etc. At the end of the year, you can check if they have been achieved.
- Read More-
Bill Gates and Warren Buffet credit their intelligence to reading. It is on an average Bill Gates reads around 50 books a year. Warren Buffet spends 80% of his day reading. The more they read the more their knowledge builds up like compound interest. Their aim is to go to bed smarter by reading during the day.
The first step in becoming smarter is by reading as much as you can. Most of the common people read books on entertainment which doesn’t build any knowledge. Read books that help you in building knowledge and in the process you become smarter.
There are a number of online resources that you can read to improve your financial knowledge. The topics can range from budgeting, paying debt, and early retirement.
- Make Mental and Physical health a priority-
By doing exercise regularly you are active and this reduces the chances of weight gain and health issues like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Exercising regularly also reduces stress and anxiety and you are calmer and more relaxed after exercise. Therefore exercise helps in maintaining physical and mental health and a person should exercise daily to remain healthy.
The other way you can remain happy is by developing a hobby that will give you joy in life. You can cook, read, go on vacation, or work in your spare time and volunteer to help needy people. Working for long hours can give you stress and affect your physical and mental health. Relaxation helps in maintaining good health by giving the body time to heal. You can relax with family and friends so as to cope with stress and daily life issues.
Eating a healthy and nutrient-rich diet will help you fight illnesses. Lowering your salt and sugar intake lowers the risk of obesity and diabetes and when you have good physical health it will have a rub-off effect on your mental health too. The right proportions of fruits and vegetables in your meal can help you to keep in good health.
Maintaining an active social life has a number of mental health benefits and you should maintain a good relationship with friends and family. Having a sense of belonging improves your happiness. You can even connect with people online or join community groups to meet people in your area which will increase your interaction.
- Learn Skills-
Achieving personal and professional success requires learning new skills. You can learn a new skill that would help you in your daily or professional life. These could be like learning a new language, writing, programming, data analysis, knitting, cooking, or public speaking. Some skills may be learned by attending courses and classes, while others can be learned with the help of a mentor or a coach.
Pick and learn the skill for which you have time right away. Just focus on learning one skill at a time so that it will not divide your attention. Set a realistic goal and break the goal into small steps. Now you can take the help of a mentor and calculate the time it will take to learn the skill and set a deadline to keep yourself accountable. Practicing what you have learned daily will make your learning process easier.
In the same way, you can practice and keep updating on the skills you have learned in the past.
- Get organized-
You have planned to carry out important tasks this month but have a habit of forgetting. It is always better to write down and list the important work so that you will not forget it.
Put everything in place. Every item should have a place and should go to the same place after use. Keep the workplace organized and you will not have difficulty finding things. Clean up your workplace and room regularly so that it is not cluttered. Make a habit of putting things in place at the earliest and not letting them pile up. If your room is full of unused clothes or the racks have plenty of unread books it is a good idea to recycle or donate these items.
Get a money management app like mTracker which helps in managing your income and expenses. The app classifies all the expenses into categories like travel, shopping, food, and drinks and helps you know the areas where you have spent more.
- Make a budget-
Making a budget is the best way to handle your finances. You know how much money you are getting and how much you are spending. Make a budget and observe the expenses for a few months. The place where you are overspending cuts down on expenses. When you are able to save and invest there will be financial security in your life and lesser stress. You can either use a spreadsheet or a financial program to manage your budget. The money that you are able to save can be used for investments and you will be able to reach your financial goals with ease and even think of early retirement.
- Break the bad habit-
You may have a habit of biting your nails or picking your lips. The first step in changing the bad habit is your desire for a change. Bad habits have evolved over time because they have been rewarded in some way. The habits may have developed over dealing with stress or boredom like smoking provides relief from stress and procrastination provides free time to engage in fun activities. Note down the impulse and the reason why you carried out that activity. Once you know the triggers you can make a plan to eliminate these activities.
Visualize the desirable behaviors that you would like to carry out in place of bad habits. Like if you eat more junk food visualize how you would prepare a tasty healthy meal. Try mindfulness exercises every day to become quiet. You can even forgo relationships with friends who support behavior like smoking or drinking alcohol daily.
- Network-
Networking involves meeting and getting to know people who you can assist and in return who can help you. Networking is regularly engaging with contacts and finding opportunities and this can help strengthen business ties. It is an excellent source of new ideas and can provide you with insights that you may never have thought of before. Being noticed is the benefit of networking and can open doors for new job opportunities. By meeting new people you are getting out of your comfort zone, which will help in building confidence over a longer term and create long-lasting friendships with many people.
- Create a schedule-
Creating a schedule for the week will help you become more organized. You can even note the events for the month on a desk calendar. Making a daily schedule and sticking to it can help you to make the best use of your time and enhance productivity. Besides making a schedule and working for the day it is necessary to have a sound sleep at night. You have to go to bed and rise up at the same time the next day which ensures you have sufficient sleep. This also increases your productivity when you are feeling fresh.
- Travel –
Traveling around the country and the world gives you a break from your daily routine. Doing the same work daily can leave you exhausted with all the stress. Taking a break for a period of time and traveling can help you relax and gain motivation. You can make a budget and travel once or twice a year. Your thinking horizon will expand when you come in contact with people of different cultures. You get to learn the customs of people around the world which increases your understanding and you also get to know more of the food and languages at different places.
Make small changes at a time and invest in yourself. Over a period of time, you will find you have made quite a big change in your personality. Following a healthy routine and having a hobby will increase your motivation level and networking with people and investing in yourself will open doors for success.