You are the person that you will spend the most time with. You will have a hand in everything that transpires in your life. Therefore, it makes sense to develop yourself and become the best version of yourself that you can be. That way, you can be at peace with yourself while you’re trying to get through this thing we call life.
So, what kind of investments can you make?
1. Improving your health habits to the best of your ability.
It may seem boring, but good health is the foundation for everything else. Ask anyone with chronic health problems how much of a pain in the ass it is to be sick, and they will be more than happy to enlighten you. There are undoubtedly steps you can take to become a healthier you if you’re not doing that already.
Prioritize exercise that’s sustainable for you, balanced nutrition that fits your unique needs, quality sleep, and stress management to help boost your overall quality of life. Not only will it help with physical health, but it can also help improve mental health challenges, too. I can tell you from personal experience that it makes a major difference. I live with pretty serious bipolar depression, and the foundation of my wellness and recovery is good sleep.
Insights Psychology informs us that the brain produces mood-balancing chemicals in the deepest stages of REM sleep, so if you’re not sleeping or sleeping well, your brain doesn’t have a chance to fully replenish for the coming day. That’s why some people experience an afternoon or evening mood crash. Just sleeping consistently, at least six hours a night, was enough to help tilt me back into balance.
Of course, it’s not a perfect solution, but it helps.
2. Learning new skills.
Every new skill you learn broadens your opportunities and increases your adaptability. Lifelong learners are more easily able to thrive because they have so many different tools in their toolbox. Even if you don’t directly know how to do something, you may possess the knowledge to find the answer.
Learning provides so many benefits, beyond the obvious. It helps keep you mentally sharp and healthy as you get older, because you’re exercising your brain. Logic puzzles and learning are both known to help slow down or prevent serious mental diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
As Harvard Health shares, your brain is essentially a muscle that benefits from regular use in the same way that physical exercise will make you stronger.
3. Expanding your emotional intelligence.
Soft skills like emotional intelligence will take you far in life. So many people neglect building soft skills because they don’t feel like they are good with people or have the ability. It’s a myth that you either have emotional intelligence or not. The fact of the matter is that anyone can get better at it with some effort.
There are so many books, podcasts, speakers, videos, and articles out there about developing social and emotional skills. All it takes is some reading and then some practice to start improving. Not only will it improve your personal relationships, but it’ll make you a much more valuable asset in the workplace as well.
Communication is a very necessary soft skill to get anywhere in life. What you will find is that a lot more opportunities are open to people with good emotional intelligence and soft skills. They have more friends, bigger networks, and can get connected more effectively.
4. Developing a growth-oriented mindset.
A “growth-oriented mindset” is a mental health, self-help phrase that is meant to help you better acclimate to the challenges of life. Every life comes with challenges, sooner or later. If they haven’t visited you yet, they will.
A person with a growth-oriented mindset understands that problems are going to come, and they will need to rise to the occasion. This person sees challenges as an opportunity for personal growth, to do things that they wouldn’t otherwise do, and take different steps to reach their goals.
A growth-oriented mindset is so powerful because so many people in the world view failure as an end, rather than as a sign to pivot to a different approach. Now you know what doesn’t work, and you can try something else. Applying this methodology to personal and professional goals will help you accelerate those facets of your life.
5. Nurture meaningful relationships.
The people you spend the most time around influence your life in ways you may not realize. If you surround yourself with shallow relationships, then you may find yourself feeling lonely and isolated. It’s easy enough to have a superficial connection with someone. All that really takes is just meeting someone and agreeing to be a friend.
But taking those friendships deeper is where you start to garner the big benefits of socialization. It feels good to have people around you who will help when asked, support you through hard times, and who you can count on to be there.
Optimally, you want to be surrounded by people who are trying to live their best life, pursuing goals, and are supportive of others. Similarly, you want to be that person too, so that you can help contribute to your friends’ lives in the same way.
6. Mastering financial literacy.
Money doesn’t solve all problems, but poor financial habits can limit your freedom and screw up your path. Or, in other words, I’d rather be sad in a Ferrari than a Ford.
It’s important to learn how to manage, invest, and grow your money wisely because it provides stability and security that is hard to get without money. Obviously, right?
Financial literacy isn’t as difficult as you may imagine. Some concepts are simple, like budgeting or putting money into a retirement account for a rainy day later. Other financial instruments aren’t as simple, but there are still so many resources where you can learn, ranging from the internet to banks.
7. Invest in experiences over things.
Experiences like travelling, workshops, or new challenges broaden your perspective and facilitate personal growth. The brain is made to be used. It likes to be challenged and worked. It’s exercise for your brain, plus it provides all of the fun feel-good dopamine and endorphins when you meet your goals.
Stuff is alright, but most of it is transient, anyway. It’s just stuff, meaning that it can get stuffed in a closet or forgotten in an attic, taking up space and cluttering. Buying the thing may provide that immediate dopamine rush, but it doesn’t linger like an experience does. Experiences utilize more of your senses and tend to stick with you longer.
And experiences are even better when you do them with someone you care about.
8. Create time for reflection.
Journaling and meditation can help you gain clarity, process life experiences, and make better choices. Self-reflection compounds, turning into wisdom over time. You start realizing what does and doesn’t work for you, what makes you feel good, and what doesn’t. That helps you make better choices and see problems before they start going wrong.
Life is one ongoing learning experience if you’ll let it be. Of course, there are plenty of people who never stop to take the time to reflect. They can find themselves locked into unhealthy cycles of decision-making because they just don’t learn from their mistakes.
Final thoughts…
Invest in yourself. It’s the best investment you can make. It’s an investment that will pay dividends over time as you learn more, adding more tools to your mental toolbox for navigating life. Adaptability is such an important part of living a happy life because things just don’t always go as planned.
But wherever you find yourself, that’s where you are, and if you’ve invested in yourself, you’ll have your investments with you wherever you go.
