The Investment Most People Overlook

What’s your most valuable asset? I’ll wait right here while you think about it.

Did you think of a 401K account? Your house’s value? These are important, sure. But I would argue that the most valuable asset you have is YOU.

You generate income. You decided how to spend and invest that income. You write the story of your financial life.

In order to kick ass at work, be present at home and make the right strategic life decisions to meet your goals you need to be in tip-top mental shape.

Makes sense, right?

What doesn’t makes sense is that while most people will drop $100 on Amazon without thinking twice, they are far more cautious in investing that money on themselves, which is a bummer.

It’s time to flip the script.

It isn’t selfish to spend money in a way that allows you to become the best version of yourself. It is actually selfish NOT to, because you are holding your gifts and your best-self back from the world.

Are you thinking, “Yeah, but I don’t have any extra money?” I would challenge you to find the money. What are you prioritizing in your spending that needs some evaluating? We have to be crazy careful about where our dollars are going, otherwise Target will suck them all away! And that is not a good investment, nothing against Target.

Have I convinced you to spend some money on yourself yet?

Here are my top 3 ways that you can invest in yourself to get priceless returns:

1. Buy back your time / Hire a support team

Buying back your time is getting help with things in your life that you either don’t like doing or need a break from. Things like, hiring help around the house, getting an assistant for your business or getting extra childcare help. These things often feel like a luxury to people but most of the time, getting this support isn’t as far off as you think.

Cut down on eating out, hire a housekeeper.

2. Learn something new

I may be the only one here, but I LOVED school. I love exercising my brain by learning something new and expanding my skills sets. But as we get older it gets harder and harder to prioritize the time and money it takes to learn something new. But it’s so important! Start by making a list of courses or books you would like to buy and start prioritizing them in your budget.

Don’t forget to include buying the time you need to make it happen!

3. Play play play
Play is restorative. It refills our empty tanks before we head back to the battlefield of life. So, whatever play is to you… a day on the water, a family hike, a night on the town, make sure you have play prioritized in your budget. Don’t go crazy here, there are a million ways to play without breaking the bank. But we need to think of play as a financial investment in our well-being.

New hiking shoes? Always a need.

Investing in yourself is a form of value based spending. When you can cut out expenses that don’t matter, you can re-prioritize them into things that feel luxurious… like hiring a housekeeper or taking the photography class. It’s not easy or natural to look at your numbers and re-focus them in this way but I think it is the better, more sustainable way of living.

Less stuff, more value. And so I’ll ask….

Are you taking care of your biggest asset… you?