CTT #135: Investing in Yourself

It’s Tuesday! I’m gearing up for TWO events and a very long day, so let’s have a quick coffee chat together.

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that it’s the end of the school year craziness around here — I have two awards events today (one that I am hosting), and am working to get students registered for summer programs. I added to the craziness by agreeing to go to a colleague’s school to help with Scholar presentations yesterday. At least I got a starbucks out of it!

If we were having coffee together today, I’d tell you that on my drive down the shore, I thought about investing. Not just money (but I think about investing money often), but in myself. Part of me wanted to say no to the plea for help with the presentations, but I also want to be a better team-player. It was like a tug of war in my own head. I’m better at saying no to things I don’t want to do (by creating boundaries), but I’m also slightly empathetic, and that causes rifts in my boundaries all the time. In the end, I’m glad I was able to help, and the drive gave me time to think about investing.

Right now, what are you doing to invest in yourself? I’m on a constant mission to be the best version of myself, and it’s WORK. It’s not easy, and it gets uncomfortable. But it’s worth it, because this is your life.

This morning, I was reminded of investing in myself by one of my favorite thought leaders, Robin Sharma. He posted this:

Source: Robin Sharma

What a reminder! I’m constantly impressed by his words of wisdom. It made me think more about how I’m investing in myself, and I want to share this with you.

6 Ways to Invest in You

1. READ. Read more. I’ve interviewed a lot of individuals over the years – between my job as an admissions counselor, and from serving on countless hiring committees. One thing becomes glaringly obvious over time: I can tell how much someone reads by the way they hold a conversation. Readers choose words carefully, pause before answering questions, and come across as thoughtful. The more you read, the more you are exposed to ideas and the better you can dream. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy novel, commit to reading blogs or a couple of news sources each day.
2. Get out of debt. This is an uncomfortable one. I can honestly say I started breathing better when my student loans were paid in full. There was a cloud hanging over my head for 9 years before I was able to get rid of that debt. I felt invincible the moment I became more in charge of my money. It’s hard, you have to make decisions about how you spend your money, but it’s worth it. Creating multiple income streams has helped with this, but you also have to be good at managing your time to hold multiple jobs. Or be ok with constant chaos.
3. Never stop learning. This ties into #5 on Robin’s list. I cannot tell you how many people have criticized me for getting so many different fitness certifications (mostly by saying “and when will you have time to teach all of those things?”). It stings at first, but now I’m over it. I learn because I like to learn. I learn because it helps me grow. I’m a better fitness instructor with each new certification. Even if I don’t immediately teach the format (or ever teach the format), I’m learning new skills to share with my clients.
4. Take a break. This might seem obvious, but I know so few people who take legitimate breaks. I’ve gotten to the point where I have honestly left a group or a meeting because it’s cutting into my “me” time. And it might seem rude at first, but at the end of the day, I’m in charge of my time and happiness. It doesn’t always have to be so abrupt, I normally schedule “me” time each day. In the spring so far, this has been glorious time in my hammock, with no phone, with no connection to the world except looking at the sky. This helps so much with stress and anxiety!
5. Move your body. I wouldn’t be a fitness professional if I didn’t include this in the list! I’m a huge advocate of just MOVING. I’ve said this before — it doesn’t have to be an all-out intensive workout, but it’s good to set a goal for movement each day. You will feel better and you’ll be able to sleep better. I’d love to see you in class!
6. Front-load your day. I’m a HUGE advocate of this. Get all of your super important tasks done, first thing in the morning. My life CHANGED when I realized that I could start getting up earlier and tackling my to do list. I’m able to relax after teaching classes in the evening, and have more clarity of mind to get to sleep early, and to start planning the next day. I like to create my to do list at the beginning of the week, identifying three top tasks for each day. I’ll tackle (eat the frog) the hardest one first, because it generally has the most anxiety surrounding it. Once you can leap over that hurdle, the rest of the day becomes that much easier.

I sincerely hope you have the power to take time and invest in yourself. There’s only one you, and you’re the only person who completely cares about your health and happiness. Take time to invest in yourself!