“One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from a business advisor was to always invest in myself,” Candice Georgiadis, founder of Digital Day, once told Forbes. “This meant continuing my education and learning new things in order to stay ahead of the competition. Not only did this advice help me professionally, but it also helped me grow as a person.” 

Often, we are instilled with the belief that we have to give everything we can to outside forces; organizations, jobs, causes, people. However, it is just as important, if not more, that we invest time and effort into ourselves. 

In this issue of the Pulse, we examine what that looks like, and why it’s important.  

What does investing in yourself look like? 

While this is going to depend on each individual person and their goals, investing in yourself generally means putting time, money, and energy into your present and future. This could mean advancing your skills, taking the time for therapy, participating in a hobby, or working towards fitness goals. It could also mean taking steps towards career advancement, whether or not that is at your current place of employment.  

It’s easy to rationalize yourself out of truly committing to self-investment. With so much going on in our professional and personal lives – and with evolving tech increasing productivity, less time away from our work – investing in ourselves often gets deprioritized compared to things that feel more urgent.  

Like a financial investment, the yields gain over time.  

While making the decision to alter your routine in order to practice self-investment may seem difficult, or like adding more to your plate, it can have some pretty significant returns. They include: 

• Building self-confidence and self-esteem. 
• Improving old skills or acquiring new ones. 
• Developing a refreshed sense of purpose or motivation. 
• Building connections with likeminded individuals. 
• Strengthening your adaptability/resiliency to change. 

In turn, all these gains lead to new or better career opportunities, promotions, increased satisfaction, and financial success.  

How do you start? 

If you’re looking to invest more in yourself, here are some concrete ways to begin: 

• Set goals, write them down, and stick to them.  
• Dedicate specific time each week to learning new things – this could be via books, podcasts, online tutorials, or in person classes.  
• Make small, meaningful changes to your routine that you can hold yourself accountable for.  

In conclusion… 

It’s easy to forget to prioritize yourself. However, in the long run, self-investment has better returns than giving all of your effort to external causes.  

For financial, personal, and professional success, begin investing in yourself as soon as possible.