{"id":682,"date":"2015-10-23T09:46:06","date_gmt":"2015-10-23T04:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourlifeandmoney.wordpress.com\/?p=682"},"modified":"2022-06-23T17:00:06","modified_gmt":"2022-06-23T11:30:06","slug":"featured-blog-the-importance-of-investing-in-yourself-and-how-to-do-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/blogs\/featured-blog-the-importance-of-investing-in-yourself-and-how-to-do-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Featured Blog: The Importance of Investing in Yourself (and How to Do It)"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following blog is by Sophia Bera originally published in her website Gen Y Planning<\/a><\/strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a financial planner, I talk a lot about investing your money wisely. You might want to invest in a new home, in grad school, or in the stock market. But we can expand this conversation to include other types of investing, too \u2014 like investing in yourself.<\/p>\n

Happiness comes from investing your money, time, and effort into the things that matter most to you. That new purse will make you happy for a while (and, hey, purses are useful!). But if you\u2019ve felt lately that your life is all about the stuff<\/i> and not about the good <\/i>stuff, there\u2019s a disconnect between what you say is important to you and what is actually important to you.<\/p>\n

When you focus on your big financial goals instead of mindlessly spending, you begin to match your monetary habits with your values, and that is a really powerful thing. So, invest your resources back into yourself. This is the opposite of selfish \u2014 in doing this, you\u2019ll be happier, healthier, more productive, and better able to be there for others.<\/p>\n

Invest in Your Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Good health is the foundation of happiness. While some factors that determine your overall health are genetic or just random, you can take action to make a positive change in your well being. There\u2019s much you can do to maintain a healthier lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Aim to be active for 30 minutes a day. It can be as simple as trading in your 10-minute drive to work with a 30-minute walk. You can join a recreational sports league (but the ones where you drink tons of beer after each game don\u2019t count!). Take a dance class. Partner up with a friend for a standing exercise date. You\u2019ll feel fitter, sleep better, and reduce your risk of lifestyle-related illnesses.<\/p>\n

Incorporating healthier food into your diet is also a way to invest in yourself. Healthy food can cost more in the short term, but remember: this is an investment and you earn a return down the road when you don\u2019t have so-called \u201clifestyle diseases\u201d that require expensive medical care and treatment.<\/p>\n

Invest in Your Sense of Self-Worth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

We all have experiences throughout our life that shape us, for better or for worse. If we don\u2019t unpack those unconscious negative thoughts, we repeat toxic patterns of behavior. This can hold you back in your career if you don\u2019t believe you deserve success. Negative self-worth can keep you tied to unhealthy friendships or romantic relationships, or it could lead you to believe that taking care of yourself and your body isn\u2019t worth it. The narrative you tell yourself can prevent you from making positive life changes.<\/p>\n

There are a few ways to invest in your self-worth. Spend more time with friends and family that encourage your growth. Seek out a mentor at work who can help you set and stick to career goals. And if you find yourself truly stuck in some negative behavior patterns, consider talking to a therapist. There\u2019s no shame in getting help from a professional, and it can lead to some amazing changes in your life.<\/p>\n

Invest in Your Education<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Is college worth the cost? Studies show that people with a four-year degree dramatically out-earn<\/a> people without one. If you\u2019re considering a career change or advancement, you might need a bachelor\u2019s degree, additional certification, or an advanced degree. In these cases, investing in more education will have a direct impact on your career.<\/p>\n

Even if more schooling isn\u2019t in the cards for you, it\u2019s still important to continue to learn at every stage in your life. Make time to read, keep up with current events, and pick up new skills. As you get older, continuous learning keeps your skills fresh at work and helps you establish yourself as an expert in your field. Learning new things is good for your career, self-esteem, and soul.<\/p>\n

There are tons of great options for online learning, like Khan Academy<\/a>, Skillshare<\/a>, and Coursera<\/a>. These give you the flexibility to learn new things no matter where you are.<\/p>\n

Invest in Experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Studies show that when you spend money on experiences, it makes you happier<\/a> than when you spend it on things. So set aside some of your paycheck to spend on vacations, classes, hobbies, and visits to far-flung old friends.<\/p>\n

Buying new stuff makes you happy for a short time, but experiences make you grow, strengthen your bond with other people, and provide a fond memory to look back on.<\/p>\n

Invest in Relationships<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As you get older, you tend to focus your energy on fewer, deeper friendships. Part of this has to do with where you and your friends are in life (which could mean more commitments to home, work, and family and less time for casual hangouts).<\/p>\n

When you have people in your life that you love \u2014 whether they\u2019re your parents, your best friend from high school, or your significant other \u2014 give those people the attention and care they deserve. If you\u2019re lucky, you get to go through life with a group of people who understand you completely, listen to you without judgement, and make you feel like the most important person in the world whenever you talk to them. You should make them feel the same way!<\/p>\n

People are busy and time is a limited resource, but make the time to catch up with your nearest and dearest. By doing this, you\u2019re continuing to invest in these relationships, and that investment will bring you lots of happiness.<\/p>\n

The Return on Your Investment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you feel like you\u2019ve been spending way too much money trying to project a certain image, re-think what it means to be successful and put-together. There are no clothes, cars, or other external trappings out there that will bring you long-term confidence. There is no out-of-your-price-range condo that will make it easier to make new friends.<\/p>\n

The more your pour into your career, relationships, passions, and health, the happier you\u2019ll be. Invest in yourself \u2014 it\u2019ll pay dividends!<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"About Sophia Bera: <\/b>Sophia Bera, CFP\u00ae is the Founder of Gen Y Planning and is a financial planner for Millennials. She’s passionate about helping people in their 20s and 30s across the with their money. She is a contributor for AOL\u2019s Daily Finance website and has been quoted on various websites and publications including Forbes, Business Insider, Yahoo, Money Magazine, InvestmentNews, Financial Advisor magazine, and The Huffington Post. She was named one of the \u201cTop Financial Advisors for Millennials\u201d by the website: www.MoneyUnder30.com. Sophia is a sought after speaker and presenter and is an active member of the Financial Planning Association. In her free time, she enjoys performing as an actor\/singer and traveling the world with her husband, Jake. Follow her on Twitter @sophiabera or sign up for the Gen Y Planning Newsletter to stay up to date on financial articles geared towards Millennials.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following blog is by Sophia Bera originally published in her website Gen Y Planning. As a financial planner, I talk a lot about investing your money wisely. You might want to invest in a new home, in grad school, or in the stock market. But we can expand this conversation to include other types of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[29,27,30],"tags":[53,26,101,151,60,10],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wfan.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}