Investing in yourself is the best investment.

The rich invest in time, the low invest in money 

Let us understand what leaders do differently is the core of this article. “Not all readers are leaders; but all leaders are readers” Leaders create an impact on others lives through their experience and knowledge. And this they learn from reading. Reading gives them understanding and also teaches them from other backgrounds. People who believe in learning to be an ongoing process always read and groom themselves, thereby achieve more. Thus they immerge as leaders. Inspirational leadership has less to do with the number of followers and more about the knowledge a person possesses. How much he learns and shares what makes him remarkable to his audience. Reading is a habit that one cultivates at a very early age in childhood, where we are first acquainted with books. The faster a child gets into this habit, the more stable he seems to learn and grow. Reading becomes an ongoing process for him to nurture. 

Reading in today’s environment is not limited to reading a book. With technology advancement, we have many ways to read, gain knowledge, and nurture themselves to groom as better leaders. It all depends on what time one takes out for themselves and carefully invests for their growth.

Let us look at why investing in yourself is so powerful and influential?

Investing in oneself helps to become the best version of your self spiritually, mentally and financially. If you invest in yourself, great opportunities come to you, and people are more likely to invest in you. It helps you think and focus on what matters to you, which improves your life quality.

Simple ways to invest in yourself 

NURTURE YOUR MIND

Read, read and read: – Reading is an excellent way to build your knowledge and expertise in any area. As the saying goes; “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a good book.” According to some researchers, reading for just 60 mins reduces up to 68% of stress levels. Imagine the power it has to reduce the stress in our daily routine. All successful people always recommend reading books. It is books that give you the ability to explore new things and believe in yourself. Reading books can be through white papers, kindle, articles, listening to audiobooks, or any format available to you. 

Write: Writing impacts your daily life and gives you a clear idea of what you want. Do you write emails, text messages, reports or any applications contents, articles? Well if the answer is yes, then it’s great to know that you are into writing. It’s simple and easy with technology even faster. Paper enhances your creativity, communication skills, and helps you to become a better thinker. Try to write a journal 10-15 mins a day. Let flow your emotions on paper, and you will be surprised to know how it can help you get away from a lot of distractions and disturbances around you.

Networking: Attend Meetings, seminars and conferences. Imagine yourself being in a room of like-minded people and having fun. Isn’t it a great feeling! Challenge yourself and get out of your desk – attend a conference on any topic of your interest. You will always learn. Live events, seminars and conferences provide learning and networking opportunities. It will also give you a chance to engage with experts and influencers. 

EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVE SIDE

Develop a New Skill: Get more creative by the day. Remember the last time you learned something new. How was the feeling? Learning new things gives us a sense of achievement and thus helps us stay motivated. Learning is a lifetime process. There’s always room for new skills. Learning a new language, a new degree, or any unique mastery of your choice is painting, music or cooking. All learnings are valuable investments.

A to-Do list:

1. Sit back and write a list of things you want to do in your life (no matter how small or big these things are).
2. Remember, do not make a simple wish list; live and cherish each wish.
3. List and then divide them into something which you can do now, things which will take time and those that will need additional skills.
4. Read this list daily, and it will give you a clear idea of the day ahead and a firm direction on how to make the most of your time. 

STAY HAPPY

Be Grateful and happy: Daily take a few minutes of your time to note 3-5 things you are thankful. Train your mind to look at the positive aspect of things and situations. Always be happy, be positive, and be grateful. Happiness is a choice. Focus on the positive aspects of life and look at all the reasons to be thankful. 

Once you have analyzed and set the focus of life on yourself by investing in yourself, you will automatically begin to appreciate that “Leaders are readers”. Leaders gain knowledge through reading and experience that they are capable of achieving more. 

Do leaders feel this is important to read and invest time in themselves? 

A reminder of important concepts: Reading and having a to-do list helps them keep a tab on all essential aspects. It allows readers to understand some concepts better, which they might not have understood the first time. Leaders are readers because they want to keep the best business concepts at the forefront of their thoughts.

Present new and thoughtful ideas: Exposing themselves to books attending conferences makes leaders think new thoughts. It churns their creative side and gives them the courage to do things “out of the box” It provides insight into how to do things efficiently. What you read and hear inspires you to develop your ideas.

Gives Leaders an edge over others: Almost all leaders and wealthy people read. It is just not for fun but value reading for knowledge. That’s what I call investing in oneself. Mr Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world, seems to support 80% of his time on himself through reading.

Encourages better decision making: Reading, talking to people, and networking helps us learn from others experiences. It exposes us on how others have approached a problem or a situation in personal or business life. It also cultivates the power of tolerance; tolerance of views outside of our own.

Conclusion

Life is all about growing. If you are not learning, you are not growing. It is the law of the universe and let us take out time to invest in our selves. As said by Jim Rohn,” Income seldom exceeds personal development.” 

Let us remember that growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who don’t. So better keep growing and learning and not be dead.

 The power of compounding. 

If you learn something and grow 1% every single day in your life. Let’s put this in compounding Interest formula where;

P=1 you

R =Growth Rate – 1% every day

N= Time – 365 Days

Compounding Interest formula

P(1+r)^n

1(1+0.01)^365

=37.78

By the year-end, you will grow up to 37times of what you were at the beginning of the year. 

That’s the magic of compounding. 

Investing in yourself is the best investments to grow in life.

About the Author: Ms Jyoti Malkani is a Business Coach, Strategist and an educationalist.