Take Time to Invest (In Yourself) This Summer
Most often, our minds jump to money when the word “invest” enters the conversation. However, investing is a multifaceted concept. By broad definition, investing time in a particular endeavor simply means devoting your time to an undertaking with the anticipation of a worthwhile result. So, really, investing is an appropriate concept to apply to every area of your life.
YOU – as in, your personal growth, development, and health – are worth investing in.
Consider our top 8 “investing” tips for the summer of 2020
- Read a book about self-development.
Explore a personal growth topic or a “self-help” book that challenges you to look at life from a new perspective, change your habits, or launch a new trajectory. Maybe you want to change your career path. Maybe you need a new morning routine. Maybe you want to start exercising more and eating healthier. There’s a book for that (or an app!), we promise you that! This is investing in yourself at its very core.
- Learn a new skill.
Want to try something new? Have you considered taking an online course, watching a tutorial on YouTube, or just getting an old-fashioned book on the subject? With the world in this slower state, this is the perfect time to dive in! Invest in yourself by expanding your knowledge and abilities.
- Revisit your hobbies.
What hobbies could you get back into? What have you been neglecting lately that might be fun to re-engage in? Do you like to run? To draw? To sing? To read? To swim? Investing in yourself means taking time to do things that you actually enjoy—not just the things on your to-do list. Life is about balance!
- Give yourself a treat.
And we don’t mean cookies (necessarily). A treat can be anything from a hot, extra-long shower to a handsome new watch. Investing in yourself means being good to yourself—monetarily or otherwise. Obviously, do what’s right for your budget, but make sure that you’re rewarding yourself for jobs well done. And every so often, it’s good to have a treat just because.
- Spend time with your loved ones.
One of the best ways to invest in yourself is to foster healthy relationships with other people. We are often at our best when we are thinking/loving/serving others. Plan a date night for your spouse or significant other! Have a coffee chat over FaceTime with your sibling! Or spend some quality time with a parent. Make sure you choose a positive person who uplifts you. This will give you a great boost.
- Update your resumé or online portfolio.
There’s something empowering about keeping your options open. It’s always a good idea to keep your LinkedIn account sharp and your resumé current. Take the time to update it! Are you involved in a creative career? How’s your online portfolio looking? Does it need a facelift? Investing in yourself means creating opportunities for the future by putting your best foot forward. This is a positive step you can take to this end.
- Reassess your monthly budget.
Particularly relevant in 2020, when much of America is experiencing financial hardship, reexamining your budget is a smart move and a way to ensure that you are investing in your future self.
- Enjoy alone time, don’t lament it.
In the last few months, we have all spent more time alone (or alone with family) than we have in our entire lives. If you are currently living alone, you may have adopted a negative view of this situation. However, the world is what you make it. Challenge your perceptions. View your alone time as a privilege, not a burden. Take a bath! Walk around your apartment naked. Do what you like, and practice gratitude for it.
If, alternatively, you are living with family or roommates, make sure that you are taking a little time to yourself every once in a while. It doesn’t have to be a lot. But invest in yourself with times of quiet reflection or music jam sessions or whatever makes you happy. Doing so is necessary to recharge and refocus.
There is a time and a season for everything. This summer, it’s time to invest.
