Should You Be Investing in Yourself?

Read time:  approximately 4 minutes

Do you feel burned out, stressed out and at the end of your ever-loving rope?

 

If so, then I must ask, should you be investing in yourself?

 

Many years ago, I was walking with an acquaintance when she made the statement that she hardly ever spent money on herself. 

 

Instead, she chose to spend on her kids and husband which resulted in very little left over for her.  She assumed that as a mom and wife, I would agree.

 

She was shocked when I made the statement that, no, I didn’t spend only on my kids and husband but made the intentional decision to take care of myself as well.

 

I went on to explain that in my first marriage I happily did exactly what she was saying.  My then husband needed professional attire that was very pricey.  Also, I had an infant daughter in which I took delight in purchasing cute clothes.  The result was that there was very little left over to spend on myself.  I was simply happy taking care of them.

Until my then husband started dating his then secretary.  And he looked really good in the clothes that I had sacrificed to purchase.

After the resulting divorce, I vowed to never again put myself in that position. 

I began the journey of learning to invest in myself. 

(Make no mistake, it is a journey.)

 

When you hear the term investing, what comes to mind? 

 

Automatically, most of us associate investing with money and finance.

Even though investing in yourself does not have to cost money, the same concepts that apply to financial investing can be applied to investing in self.

And just like with traditional investing, it takes time and effort, but the results are worth both.

 

If investing in yourself sounds a little on the selfish side, consider this:

 

Have you ever overdrawn your bank account?  When your bank account is in the negative, there is absolutely no way to pay the bills let alone purchase groceries.  It just isn’t possible.

When you overdraw your own physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional reserves, there is nothing left to give to those you love.  Just like a bank account, you can’t give what you don’t have. 

Start thinking about investing in yourself as a future gift to both yourself and those you love, and you will realize that investing in yourself is the opposite of selfish. 

 

Ironically, the same things that hinder us from investing financially are the same reasons we assume we are unable to invest in ourselves.

 

Investing takes extra money that I don’t have.

 

Good news! 

The beauty of investing in yourself versus investing financially is that you can invest in yourself without actually spending any money.

Taking a bath, reading a book, enjoying a nap are all activities that have no cost associated with them but, to me, are ideal ways of investing in yourself.

Don’t assume that to invest in yourself, your activity of choice must be expensive and social media post worthy.  Be intentional about investing in the little things that bring you joy.

Just like traditional investing, if you find you have some extra cash, then great, invest in something that may have a cost associated with it. 

Just don’t assume that you have to spend money to invest in yourself.  Many of the best things in life really are free.

 

Investing takes time that I do not have.

 

Full time jobs, home responsibilities and family and kid activities put the squeeze on almost every minute of the day.

Trying to find time to invest in yourself seems pretty much impossible.

Start with one thing and weave it into the fabric of your day. 

For years, I have dealt with neck and back issues.  Just recently, I started stretching for just a few minutes prior to getting out of the shower.  Not a full out, time consuming neck treatment, just a little thing built into the routine of my day that helps control my neck pain.

Investing in myself.

 

Where do I even start?

 

The first time Brian and I met with a financial advisor, he hit us with such a dizzying array of information we didn’t go back for twenty years.  We were completely overwhelmed.

The same thing can happen when you start trying to decide where to begin investing in yourself.  Overwhelm sets in and you do…. nothing.

Focus on four main areas:  physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. 

Pick one area and one thing and start. 

It doesn’t have to be a long term investment.  You can trade it for a different idea at any time. 

Like investing, the most important thing is to start.

 

To see results, remain intentional and consistent.

 

Like financial investing, remaining intentional and consistent will be your biggest hurtle.

My mother needs to drink plenty of water.  In an effort to meet that goal, she put a cup in the bathroom.  Every single time that she goes to the bathroom, she drinks a small cup of water.

That is a great example of intentional and consistent. 

You will enjoy the largest benefits when you remain consistent.

 

Investment funds don’t usually yield immediate results.

 

This is one place that I think traditional and self-investing part ways.  When you take the time and make the effort to like yourself enough to begin investing in yourself, the results will be almost immediate.

 

So, if you are burned out, stressed out and to the end of your rope, it is critical that you begin investing in yourself.

And like investing with money, the sooner you begin, the sooner you, and those you care about, will benefit from the results.

You are worth it!

 

 

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