Investing in Yourself

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb

It’s never too late to plant a seed for success. However, many people delay the process indefinitely as they worry that nothing will come of the newfound action (e.g. creating a new business or embarking on a career transition). You have to set up your mind for success if you intend to plant those seeds now. Yes, now. Not a few days from now. Not a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years. It’s best to start where you are at right now to yield wealth later.

One way to plant those seeds is to invest in yourself. Learn a new skill. Pick up a fun hobby. Socialize. Explore. These are all great ways in which you can invest in yourself. And, it doesn’t matter what age you are. Investing in yourself first is a great way to expand upon your skills and talents that can later be used to build wealth.

Don’t worry if you missed out on past opportunities. There will always be more opportunities along the way. All you have to do is tune into them and go after what feels right for you. Some opportunities may require more from you than others. You should work on preparing yourself for the bigger opportunities, meanwhile cashing in on the small opportunities that come your way.

Some ways in which I invest in myself is through investing in technology. The technology I use allows me to express myself creatively, meanwhile also allowing me to tap into markets such as affiliate marketing or passive income through other means. If I didn’t invest in the technology that I use today, it would be difficult for me to for example post a YouTube video. But because I have sufficient technology, I am able to explore my creative talents such as singing or writing on this blog.

Wherever your interests lie, try to find a way to invest in yourself through the required skills and talents. The traditional approach is to attend college or university. But, you can explore different avenues of learning such as buying the textbook and learning at home with maybe hiring a tutor once in a while. Nowadays with the internet, you can learn anything through a simple Google search.

You can find a way to make those skills and talents applicable. For example, if you want to learn dance, you can record yourself dancing and post it up as a YouTube video for people to watch, maybe earning some passive income through YouTube partnership. Or, you could build up a portfolio of dance videos, catching the eye of different entertainment or dance companies.

Get creative and invest in yourself by creating an online presence. If you become well-known on the internet, people may ask to hire you for different gigs. If you’re a personal development guru, you might be invited to speak at various events for money. Or if you’re the go-to person for reaction videos, you may be sponsored to attend related events. Making yourself known online is a great way to increase your opportunities. Just plant one seed at a time, and take your time learning how to brand yourself and your skills or talents.

These days, I would say that the best way for people to invest in themselves is to start somewhere on the internet. Heck, there are people who make thousands off of simple hobbies such as computer gaming through streaming on websites like Twitch. If a 15-year-old can make money off creating a simple smartphone app, so can you. There’s less of an excuse to make money online. You’re either in, or you keep missing out on the experiences. But once you’re in, you can learn many things, allowing you to create new streams of income through something you enjoy.