words Alexa Wang
“New year, new you.” Many motivational speakers have used this as a catchphrase for the idea of investing in oneself. It’s an especially appealing idea as the start of a new year is upon us. But why is investing in yourself so important? Many believe that the return we see in our relationships, careers, self-confidence and more is exponentially greater when we take the time to work on and create the best version of ourselves.
It may take a little practice to start incorporating time for yourself on a daily or weekly basis to your already busy schedule. But once you get started, it’s something you’re bound to enjoy and from which you’ll get a great return on investment.
Take a look at some of the most popular ways to start investing in yourself. Your future self will thank you.
1. Learn Something New
Picking up a new skill or hobby can add some serious spark to your life. It can be passion-based, like learning to play the guitar or more career-focused such as taking a coding class. But, either way, the pursuit of lifelong learning serves as a catalyst for the rewiring of your brain and can help you to more quickly learn and develop new skills over time. Plus, learning is fun and is part of the makeup of who we are as human beings.
2. Build Up The Basics
Investing in yourself means taking the time to make sure all your basic needs are being well met. To start, you may want to go back to the basics by tracking your sleep, diet and exercise regimen. Indeed, making improvements in these areas can create a dramatic change in your quality of life. For example, try developing simple, healthy habits like:
- Getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night
- Drinking between 2.7 liters (women) and 3.7 liters (men) of water every day
- Setting aside two and a half hours each week to exercise
Still in need of more inspiration related to health and wellness? Go online and/or use social media to uncover a wealth of resources related to clean eating and exercise, regardless of the stage of your health journey. After all, committing to regular exercise and nutritious eating will help ensure you lead a long, healthy life.
3. Try Mindfulness
Did you know the average adult picks up their smartphone, on average, 60 times per day and is glued to these devices for typically three hours at a time? That’s a lot of digital back and forth. One way to combat dependency on smartphones is to incorporate meditation into our day. Taking 30 minutes to an hour away from daily screen time has been shown to decrease stress, help with emotion regulation, improve immune functioning, and increase our overall mental health.
4. Fulfill Your Bucket List
A bucket list is your personal catalog of everything you want to achieve and experience in your life. Of course, adding to your ever-growing wish list may be constant, but you can start by checking off items on a weekly, monthly or annual basis.
Say you’re looking to experience new parts of the world. Then take a vacation somewhere you’ve been longing to visit is a great place to start. Indeed, there’s often no better way to experience it all than by traveling solo — and enjoying comfort and relaxation, as well as the ability to see nature and wildlife unique to certain parts of the world can be achieved by taking a cruise.
For example, you can venture to Alaska via a cruise to experience the Mendenhall Glacier, Inside Passage, Denali National Park and much more up close and personal. To get started, do a comparison shop of different Alaskan cruise prices before you set sail to get the most bang for your buck. Upon returning home, you’ll come back reinvigorated and ready to show up for life as the best version of yourself.
Be the Best You By Prioritizing Personal Growth
When you prioritize personal growth, albeit through a change in healthy habits, learning and developing new skills, or setting off on the vacation of a lifetime, you tell those around you — and most importantly yourself — that you’re eager and motivated to lead a life of greater purpose and prosperity.
