6 Ways To Invest In Yourself

We all know we should be investing in ourselves, whether that’s through time or money. So instead of telling you the reasons why you should invest in yourself, I’m going to share with you the ways I currently invest in my personal growth, mind, body and overall well being.

You might think investing in yourself costs too much time and money, but that’s not the case at all. You can invest in yourself by spending very little time and sometimes zero money. I think by reading this post you will be inspired at the different ways you could invest in yourself.

So here are the ways I invest in myself and how much time and money it costs to do it!

Podcasts: time investment

Podcasts are a great way to invest in yourself. I listen to personal growth podcasts during my commute to and from work, so in a way this investment doesn’t even cost any time, because it’s time I would otherwise be listening to music or scrolling through my Instagram feed.

Listening to podcasts is such a simple, free and easy investment in my personal development because I get to listen in on conversations of successful people and learn how they got to where they are today. To find out which obstacles  they’re faced with and how they overcome failures. I get to hear their advice and apply it to my own life, and most importantly I get to do it for free during my commute.

It seems like a no brainer doesn’t it!

I do love watching YouTube videos but I’ve found Podcasts work better for my lifestyle because I can download them and not worry about loosing signal on the train. I also don’t need to watch my phone screen, I can simply stare out the train window as I let their inspiring words run through my mind.

My favourite podcasts are:

• The Lavendaire Lifestyle with Aileen
• Life Coach School Podcast with Brooke Castill
• The Lively Show with Jess Lively
• Smart Twenties with Sam Brown
• Mindful Productivity with Sarah Steckler
• The Tim Ferriss Show with Tim Ferriss

Waking up early: time investment

This might surprise you and you might be thinking, how is waking up early an investment to yourself? Don’t you prefer to sleep!?

Yes I love to sleep and if I could sleep in and still have time to do everything I wanted without other commitments or distractions then I would. However, as I work full time I want to start my day doing something for myself, before getting ready and heading to work.

Waking up early means I have “me time”. Time without distractions, time when I can focus on my wants and my goals. Waking up early is so powerful as you instantly feel a sense of accomplishment, I feel productive when I wake up early because if I’ve woken up early to work on my blog then that time will be spent just working on my blog. Because there’s no way I’m not going to wake up early and then procrastinate!

If you’re interested in starting your own morning routine then check out these posts: morning habits that will change your life and creating your perfect morning routine.

Blogging: time and money investment

I honestly believe that blogging is the best form of personal development, that I’ve personally tried anyway. Putting yourself, your thoughts and your ideas out into the world for anyone to see is scary as f*** but also the most rewarding thing I’ve done.

When you start a blog you’re faced with self-doubt and fear. It’s a battle between wanting to stand out from the crowd but also wanting to fit in. Writing this blog has changed me, especially as I write about personal growth and well being, it’s made me see the world in a different light and forced me to be more open minded and positive.

Time investment: I work on my blog every-single-day but I love every second of it.

Money investment: I can give you a rough guide on how much I spend on my blog.

• Theme from PigDig: £49 one off payment
• Board Booster, Pinterest scheduler: £7.14 per month
• Over, Photo editing app: £52.99 per year (£5 per month)
• Siteground, website hosting: £60 per year

However you don’t need to spend much or any money at all to get the personal development benefits from blogging. If you’re interested in starting your own blog you can check out my post on how to start a blog for beginners.

Online courses: time and money investment

Online course are a super way to invest in yourself because you can do them at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. There are tones of websites which offer online courses, such as Creative Live. CreativeLive* offer online classes in photography, graphic design, craft and DIY, marketing, business and entrepreneurship, you name and they have a course in it!

I’ve currently invested in three online courses, they’re mainly focused on my blog and my own self-development, which in return gives me more ideas and knowledge when writing content.

Courses I’ve invested in:

• The five day profit plan by Wonderlass £85.59
• Get out your own way by Smart Twenties £21.33
• Healthy Habits 101 on Udemy £11.99

Running: time and money investment

I love running and I prefer running outside than going to the gym. In the gym in find myself looking at the time and wondering what machine to go on next. I also hate it when personal trainers constantly approach me, trying to get me to sign up for a session with them. Where as when I’m running I’m distracted by the scenery, I’m just with my own thoughts and I don’t need to think what to do next, I just keep running.

I run about three times a week unless I’m training for a race then I tend to run about 5 times a week. The only money investment I make is for a good pair of trainers about £100 and decent running outfit which I tend buy from Nike. I also sign up 10k races now and then, as it’s much more motivating when I run with a large group of people, each race usually cost between £18-£35 depending whether its a 10k or a half marathon.

• Yearly cost to run is about £500 (trainers, outfit and race fees)
• Time: 2-3 hours a week (5k/30 minutes)

House renovation: time and money investment

We bought our first home last year and I don’t even want to think about the amount of money we’ve spent renovating it, because it’s such a massive number. I’m talking thousands of pounds, but we bought the house at a lower price and was and still are prepared to take on this huge project.

It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done and it’s changing me as person. I’m unbelievable grateful for everything I own and I take care of my items because I fully understand the time, energy and money which has gone into making our house a home. We’re able to completely personalise our home and put our very own stamp on it.

• Time investment: At least two weekends every month, for 3-5 years.
• Money investment: A lot!

A project like this isn’t for everyone but you can still gain the benefits by decorating your bedroom, investing in new furniture or buying pretty décor for your house.

How do you invest in yourself?

Laura x