3 ways to invest in yourself & why you should

It’s never a waste of time to invest in yourself, no matter the source

– will.i.am

I turned 25 two Sundays ago. I’ve lived for a quarter of a century, roughly a third of the average human lifespan.

I used to think that people in their mid to late 20s were so old. Yet here I am at 25, definitely old in some ways but still incredibly young and unsure of my place and path in life. I don’t feel like a ‘real’ adult most days and I’m sure as hell not where I thought I’d be at 25.

For the last year or so I’ve been dealing with a bit of a quarter life crisis while I try to come to terms with that fact. I shed actual tears a few weekends ago, lamenting the state of my life. But now that the big day has come and gone, I find myself feeling oddly at peace with my current situation.

You see, I realised that nothing I do, say or think can change the past.

But I can definitely invest in myself and work to change my outlook and my circumstances

I usually don’t make any sort of resolutions until January first but I decided to get a head start this year. I feel the need to make changes right now, so why wait? There’s no rule that says we can only set goals in the new year, is there?

So, on my birthday, I made a promise to myself. I refused to actively wallow anymore. Sure, there’ll be times when I feel down for one reason or another. But instead of throwing myself a pity party, I plan to do something to either make myself feel better or make myself be be better.

Who knows. Maybe I’ll actually be able to stick with this next year since, thanks to the extra month of practice through December.

3 big ways to take care of and invest in yourself

1. Physically

I have two major goals in this section. First, I plan to get back on track with my fitness journey. I finally switched to a GoodLife Fitness closer to my new apartment and I’ve been hitting the gym 4 – 5 times a week for the last couple of weeks. I’m already loving the new routine and have noticed huge improvements in my mood and productivity dur to the physical activity. Hopefully I can keep it as it gets colder.

The other important part of taking care of myself physically has to do with making (and keeping) regular doctor’s appointments. I had a pretty big health scare in 2013 and I actually stopped blogging for about 6 months while I dealt with it. Everything is fine now but I’ve gotten lazy about staying on top of my regular checkups and that needs to change ASAP.

A few more ways to invest in yourself physically:

• get enough sleep
• eat healthy foods
• take care of your hair
• take care of your skin
• get up an move every day
• take pride in your appearance

2. Mentally

Having an ex-teacher for a mother means that I place a lot of importance on investing in myself through education. Learning is second nature to me and it’s something that I enjoy. Just because I finished my undergrad and have no plans to do my masters anytime soon, doesn’t mean my education has to stop now. There are tonnes of free courses to choose from online in a variety of different subjects. I have nothing to lose by enriching my mind while I try to figure out the next steps in my life.

A few more ways to invest in yourself mentally:

• read
• get creative
• be productive
• get organized
• be spontaneous
• set (and accomplish) goals
• challenge yourself to try new things

3. Emotionally

Emotional growth is the area that I neglect most often and I’m sure it’s the same for many of you. My number one priority when it comes to investing in myself emotionally is making time for family and friends. I pulled away from my support system a lot in the last year while I tried to deal with my worries on my own. But I need to learn that leaning on others in times of need is not a weakness. It can actually do a world of good for you mental state.

A few more ways to invest in yourself emotionally:

• meditate
• keep a journal
• get counselling
• make time for yourself

What about you?

What new years resolutions do you plan to set for 2017? How do you treat and invest in yourself?

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