When I was a tender eight years old–and had already been saving my weekly allowances for three years–my mom took me to the bank to open my first savings account. The banker must have had to force back a laugh when I self-importantly opened my change purse and pulled out $63 in $1 bills! (My mom had helped me convert my quarters into bills earlier that week.)
Every since I was little, I was what some might call an extreme saver. It was incredibly difficult for me to justify spending money on anything for myself that isn’t objectively necessary (think food, shampoo, a winter coat, etc). This was fine when I was younger and my parents paid for most of my expenses anyways. But now that I’m older and financially independent from my parents, I’ve had to rethink my views on money and necessity, and more broadly investing in myself.
What I’ve Changed
For a few years now, ever since I entered the blogging scene, I’ve wanted to pick up several blog-related hobbies. But I just couldn’t bite the bullet to invest in the start-up costs until about a month ago. And let me tell you, I am so glad that I did.
With just a few dollars–that I feel have already repaid themselves several times over–it’s like a whole new world has been opened to me. My creative juices are flowing again. I’m experiencing the frustration and elation that comes with learning and practicing (and hopefully eventually, mastering!) new skills. I look forward to my free time instead of dreading hours of boredom. My only regret is that I wish I’d started sooner.
Possible Roadblocks
Maybe for you, money isn’t the problem, but time. You take on things you don’t enjoy and in the process, sacrifice time for the things you love. I understand because I’ve often felt this way, too. Why should I spend time on something that might not ever bring me money, or that I can’t put on my resume?
Or maybe it’s mental energy. This is a common roadblock to revamping your diet, for example. It doesn’t necessarily cost more than eating junk, but finding recipes, meal planning, creating grocery lists and learning how to cook seems like a lot more work than it’s worth, even if you know it’s the only way to achieve your health goals.
Benefits of Investing in Yourself
Whatever the issue at stake is, I’m telling you that if you can make the necessary changes to your life, you should go for it. Take that class, get yourself that personal trainer, buy that book or new art supplies.
The worst thing that could happen is that you’ll learn something about yourself. You’ll learn that you’re not actually interested in whatever you thought you were. More likely? You’ll gain so much more:
- You’ll improve your physical or mental health
- You’ll be able to set new goals to encourage personal growth
- You’ll have fun!
- You’ll learn new things (that may be marketable in the future)
- You’ll have more to talk about with friends and family
- You’ll be able to contribute to the world in new ways
- You’ll boost your self-confidence
Take this as encouragement to bite the bullet and finally start that journey you’ve been dreaming about for a while. You’re worth the investment.
How have you invested in yourself lately in a way that’s really paid off?
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