Learning how to invest in yourself can be a bit of a tug-of-war, especially as a business owner.
You want to invest in self-care but if you’re not working on your business, you’re not making money. This can lead to feeling so guilt, stress, and anxiety.
It’s not a pretty cycle to get stuck in. ????
However, these are the things that take time to understand, perfect and turn into consistent habits. By the time you’re done reading this you will actually be excited about investing!
Why?
Because there’s a simple investment that you will actually enjoy and see big returns. What is it?
Yourself! The best investment you can make, is in YOU. Here are ten ways to invest in yourself and watch your life change for the better.
1. Read books and blogs
Whenever you talk to millionaires and business owners, one of the things they always recommend as a way of attaining success is to read books.
Books give you the power to learn new things and bust through career slumps.
In other words, books can take you to places you’ve never been and give you ideas you never thought of.
And these days there are no excuses not to continuously read. I mean, you can listen to audio books while you work out, do chores, or when you’re on the road.
Take some time this week to read a book or listen to a new author. Not only is it fun, but it will get your creative juices flowing!
Check out this list of the top career books to read when motivation.
2. Become the boss of your money
Get your spending and saving under control now! Debt is no fun at all and it is dragging you down. Until you’re debt free, your money is not truly yours.
Eradicating debt is the first step in controlling your finances so they can’t control you. Then you’ll become less stressed, sleep better, and have more peace.
And don’t forget about stashing away cash so you can fund your dreams!
Saving enough money to pay cash for what you want will give you the ability to quit a job you despise, start a business you love, or simply have the financial freedom you want.
Having extra cash for both emergencies and possibilities is an amazing investment in yourself. For starters you can improve your financial profile by opening a tax-free saving account.
Those dreams you shelved when you accepted a life of financial chaos can become realities with a little financial planning, budgeting, and self-control.
Sounds awesome, yeah?
Learn how to save money — even without a regular paycheck!
3. Invest in your future
Don’t wait until retirement age to start saving or investing. DUH!
But seriously, you need to start thinking about your future and how you’re going to afford the lifestyle you want.
As business owners, we’re more tech-savvy and have access to awesome products and services that make our financial better.
Don’t skimp on investing in your future!
One example of how to invest in your future is with Acorns. Acorns is an investment app that rounds up your spending and invests the difference.
It’s amazing what a few cents can do once you add it all up throughout the month!
You open a free account, set up your first $5 or $10 transfer and you’re on your way to building wealth.
But even if you don’t use an app like Acorns, set up automatic withdrawals from your checking account into the your investment account each month.
Don’t wait to start saving for a better life in retirement.
Here’s how to use Acorns for beginner investing and get a $10 bonus!
4. Never stop learning
Each of us will go through phases in our businesses where we aren’t as busy as we’d like, that’s the perfect time to continue learning. You can start feeling a bit restless or bored, and this can lead to burn out.
Take a moment to think…
What’s a skill you’ve been dying to learn? What’s something in your biz that you’re frustrated with that you know could be better?
Look at an area of your business that you might be under-utilizing, like Pinterest. Consider taking a Pinterest course and start implementing new marketing strategies.
Have you been interested in learning a skill, like CSS? Start learning for free online and building your own site from scratch.
5. Give yourself a break
You already know the importance of self-care but how often do you actually make time for this in your daily life?
From taking a break to watch Netflix (anyone binge watch #Girlboss like I did?) to simply enjoying a bubble bath, giving yourself a break is key to avoiding burnout.
One thing I like to do to take a break is simply get outside, and sometimes it’s for an entire weekend. A weekend getaway is a great time to recharge and reinvigorate yourself as a person — not just a business owner.
Give yourself permission to take a break and don’t feel guilty about doing so!
6. Find a business coach
Your path to investing in yourself doesn’t have to be a solo trip. Find yourself a business coach or mentor who can guide you when you get discouraged or feel lost.
When you work for yourself, you need someone on your team who can figure out what’s working and what’s not, what’s valuable and what’s not.
A business coach can be your biggest advocate!
Most importantly, they will help you figure out how to make your dream business a reality. I know it’s difficult to part with your hard-earned cash, but a business coach may be the very best investment you can make.
A financial planner could also be a great asset to your team. They will often have your best financial interest at heart, and can direct you towards a future of wealth and stability.
Both a financial planner and a business coach can help turn your business into what you want — a successful and thriving venture.
Learn more about what it takes to work with a business coach!
7. Insure yourself
Insurance is totally boring, I know. However, it is also necessary. While assuming the best is a great way to live, preparing for the worst is the prudent way to live.
The basic insurance types everyone should have includes — life (for those with dependents), auto, homeowner’s/renter’s, and health insurance.
When you’re self-employed the cost to insure yourself can be quite high so it’s important to shop around. When it comes to self-employed health insurance specifically, you have many other affordable options than the traditional route.
The point is though, you need to protect yourself, and your family, and insuring yourself allows for that peace of mind.
Invest in yourself for a happier and brighter future!
Find out more about the 10 affordable options for health insurance when self-employed.
8. Create multiple income streams
With an ever-changing economy you need to have multiple income streams. We can no longer rely on a single job or income stream to pay our bills.
If you want to earn passive income, creating multiple streams of revenue is vital to being financially stable.
Having more control over your money means reducing the risk of a single revenue source and earning money from different avenues.
Not only will this help you sleep better at night, but you might uncover a passion you have for something you never even realized.
Find out how to create streams of income with affiliate marketing.
9. Know your limits and respect them
No one can take advantage of you if you don’t let them. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a business owner — sometimes saying NO is just as important as saying YES.
You must learn to say YES and NO to the right things and create boundaries within your life. And just because you say NO to something doesn’t make you a bad person.
In fact, knowing your limits and respecting them is what will make you a great person!
Understanding your strengths and knowing your weaknesses will make you stronger individual and business owner.
10. Make money on the side
Earning money on the side of your day job is different than creating multiple income streams. How?
A side hustle isn’t necessarily about investing or saving small amounts of money.
Earning money in your spare time often means developing a skill that you can offer as a service to clients. For example, you could learn how to become a freelance writer in just 30 days and start getting paying clients.
Or you could start a virtual assistant business where you earn your first $500 a month.
It’s true!
A side hustle can make you extra money on the side of your day job. And maybe even one day you can quit to work for yourself!
Until then, you can use the bonus funds for travel, paying off debt, buying your dream home, or taking a much-needed vacation.
Learn how to earn money on the side and in your spare time!
How to invest in yourself
Most of the time when people suggest ways for how to invest in yourself they are usually talking about a monetary investment.
And while this is true, sometimes it’s just as important to invest time into yourself.
Learn how to strike the proper balance between investing time and investing money. In other words, be patient.
Know when to splurge and when to save, or when to invest and when to let time do it’s thing.
Remember, an investment in yourself is the greatest one you can make.
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This article was written by Carrie Smith Nicholson.
