Trending
In my work with successful professionals, I notice a clear commonality to each of them:
They invest in their success, which means they invest in themselves.
But that’s not always easy for a lot of people. They don’t understand the value of the investment, and are often wary of spending time or money before they receive any returns, simply because they don’t see that the returns will be greater than what they invest.
Allow me to elaborate…
We all have the same amount of time; time being the most universal of currencies. Money is a secondary currency, given that some of us have more than others. A third component is connections. Without relationships, it's hard to build anything. Time, money and connections open a lot of doors. I’m sure you have found that in your own life.
Success is always a work in progress. I like to think of it as a construction site. You’re building for the future.
To be successful there are always investments required long before the anticipated success arrives and usually, well after. You have invested in your education to build your skill sets. You have invested in your business to create brand awareness. You have invested lots of time making the connections you need to build your clientele. But have you invested in yourself to discover how much more there is of you to bring to the world?
If you are having the following thoughts…
You are having a conversation with yourself about how to develop your potential, and you are looking for a way to invest your time, money and connections to make it happen. But are you taking action to remedy this?
Are you investing for future ROI?
None of us achieves our success alone. There are always people who helped make it happen. The investment we make in connecting with them, inviting them in as teachers, guides, mentors or otherwise, pays off in large currency at the end of the day. You build and achieve according to your strengths and weaknesses, and your ability to take risks.
For over thirty years, I have personally invested hundreds of thousands of dollars on my own growth and development. It wasn’t easy, and at times if was painful, challenging and very risky. But it was honest, and I was determined. With time, money and connections, I discovered an amazing woman hiding under all the garbage.
Related: What Consistent Actions Are You Taking to Reach Your Goals?
When you prevaricate, deny or refuse to invest in you, you are essentially shutting the door on the prospect of a successful future, and more important, a fulfilling life.
The fear of making a mistake , either with your time or money is so real that you may take no risk at all. When you don’t develop your network for success, you are missing out on thousands of dollars, and more importantly people who will become your champions.
Making an investment in me has paid off handsomely with a life of nomadic living around the globe, raising my children, writing books, making music, and enjoying the fruits of my success. But it didn’t stop there.
I invested more time, money and connections to build my leadership development practice, and have reaped enormous rewards from everyone I have the opportunity to work with. This chapter of my life is the most fulfilling, and I would not have had it if I had not invested in my future.
Investing in you is the greatest investment of your life. It opens doors to all kinds of opportunities that you don’t even know exist, or that you’re capable of fulfilling.
To get to the finish line, you have to run the race. So if you’re standing here, and wish to be over there, start moving your feet!
Begin investing in yourself today. Find an advisor, ask for help, build your network. If you want to develop a strong ROI on the greatest investment of your life, take the next step.