Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.
Robin Sharma
While some may think of self-improvement as self-serving and vain, it is quite the opposite. It is an unselfish move that creates a ripple effect on the lives of others, too. When we feel good about ourselves, we communicate that with our family, teammates, friends, and community.
When you invest in yourself as a woman, you are building a better version of yourself. Your future self you would thank you because you planted seeds today that you will harvest tomorrow. So where should you invest?
Invest in your Spiritual Life
Before we talk about the other ways of investing in ourselves, I suggest we look at our spiritual life. I’m not asking how many times you go to church or how much money you give to the poor. Investing in our spiritual life means creating an eternal security with God in heaven. Look at the verses below:
John 14:6 Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The only way to reach God is through Jesus Christ, His son. There is no other way or mediator between us and God. How well do you know Christ?
John 3:16-17“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.“ Do you how much God loves you? He sacrificed his Son so that you and I can spend eternity with Him. But we have a problem.
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Our greatest problem is sin and this sin separates us from God the Father. All good deeds will not compensate for the sin we carry with us. So what will be our end if we cannot ‘pay for our sins’?
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The payment for our sin is death—second death. It is the eternal separation from God. But despite our sin, God has given us a gift—eternal life. This forever life with God costs the life of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Aren’t you glad we don’t have to work for our eternal life? Jesus paid for it all! We can choose to accept this gift or not. Surrendering your life to Christ, asking for forgiveness, and accepting his gift of salvation is the best investment in yourself.
Invest in your Skills
“I am a stay-at-home-mom. What skills do I have?”
“I have been out of the workplace for a long time. I don’t have the skills anymore.”
This is often the case for some stay-at-home-moms or stay-at-home-wives that I talk with. They belittle themselves because they have been caring for their children and tending the home for a long time. I felt that way too when the kids were young. But I had to fight it. I have to remind myself that I have a brain! Motherhood didn’t make me dumb.
Please do not forget the who you used to be before you became a wife or a mother. Did you dabble in the arts when you were single? Maybe it’s time to revisit that. You can try creating simple artworks again to create new brain pathways. Or you were interested in the arts but never pursued something creative. If your season of life permits you, then please do it for yourself.
I know you can come up with of ideas you can get your hands into. What are your interests or hobbies? Create a plan to pursue them next year. It does not have to change the world, but it must spark a new beginning in you. Who knows what opportunities this skill will lead you?
Invest in a Side Hustle
If you have flexible time, consider starting a small side hustle. You may work as a virtual assistant, a freelance writer, or a graphic designer. Upwork is a great way to look for online work. Log in to Upwork and create a winning profile. Don’t forget to include relevant skills, work experience, and certifications. You can choose jobs on a short-term and long-term basis.
Also, try your hand also in selling your goods online. If you love baking, start selling them to your friends and ask for their honest feedback. If you get a thumb’s up, then create a menu and your brand logo. Next, set up your Instagram and Facebook Business page. Create content regularly to get traction and ask friends to support your social media pages.
Invest in Self-Development
Self-development should be a perpetual process. In life, you are either growing or rotting. You’re moving forward or backwards. There is no standing still.
Al Duncan
One of the saddest phrases I hear from people is this: This is who I am. I was born this way. Take it or leave it. They are too proud to accept they need to change or too lazy to even try. Unfortunately, this kind of attitude repels others and creates friction in relationships.
Let’s not succumb to the comfortable and our default attitudes. Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting for a different result.” If we want our lives to change, we need to accept that our way of doing things and our mindset no longer serve us. There must be a shift in belief that translates into action.
Investing in ourselves by pursuing self-development is necessary to have a meaningful and growing life. Start by creating new habits and letting go of the bad.
- Start reading books. If you are not a reader, find a nonfiction book that interests you and read at least one chapter a day. Great books enrich your mind and propels you action.
- Listen to different podcasts daily. What’s so great about podcasts is you can tune in while doing the laundry or running. All you need are your earplugs and an open mind.
- Revamp your health habits. Your age does not limit you from creating new health habits. You are in a better position to do something about your health if you are younger. If you are in your 40s like me, it’s not too late. Start today.
- Join webinars, online conferences, or enriching classes like Bible studies. Attending gatherings like these will inspire you to be better and widen your network.
Invest in Coaching or Mentoring Sessions
One of the best ways to invest in yourself is to get a coach or a mentor. Is coaching and mentoring the same? There are differences and benefits between the two.
I found this article by PushFar, which describes a mentor as someone who shares their knowledge and skills to help the other grow and develop, while a coach guides their clients towards reaching their goals and potential.
Mentoring is directing the mentee towards a goal by sharing the mentor’s experience and skills. Coaching is extracting answers from the client by asking questions.
About two weeks ago, I availed the free career coaching session of Kurly de Guzman. Her LinkedIn profile says she’s a Career Agility and Transition Coach, an author and a retired in her 30s. I got curious and booked a session with her. It was very enlightening and reassuring. It helped focus on what my real problem was and pursue what I need to pursue.
Investing in yourself is saying yes to change and no to mediocrity.
What’s the first thing you’d like to invest in 2022? How will this investment help you become better?
