Investing in Yourself

Investment (Definition) — an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.

I started traveling again for work, and I have had a bit of apprehension about the process. I love the work I do, and I don’t mind traveling, but I was nervous about losing the “routine” that I have developed that has led to some really healthy habits. I work out at a similar time each day, eat at the same times, and eat very similar meals in my daily routine. It has led to results I am happy with and I feel the best I have, mentally and physically, in years.

Every day while on the road (or at home), I find a way to get to a space and some time to exercise. I find a way to eat healthy meals, even if sometimes they are a bit more expensive and a lot more inconvenient to find. I find a way.

Because of this focus, I am finding that I am having more energy, I am sleeping better, and am more prepared to deal with the typical stress one might have during traveling because I have made a concerted effort to invest in myself.

I shared all of these thoughts in response to a participant’s questions in one of my sessions, and I asked her, “Do you invest in yourself so you can better take care of others?”

Yet, some people see would this focus on myself as a “selfish act,” where I see it as the opposite. When I find create time to take care of my health, I seem to be better to those I work with, interact with daily, and most importantly, my own family.

Here is one way I see it…would my kids rather be around me all day when I am cranky, or that minus one to three hours, when I am happy and feel good? I know my answer and I am pretty sure I know there’s as well.

Time is the most precious resource we have because once we spend it, it never comes back.

The time I spend working out, reading, writing, etc., is a way that I invest in myself. It comes back to me in spades and makes me better for others.

When you make an appointment with others, do you tend to keep it? What about appointments with yourself?

In my day, I plan out when I will exercise and make time to read/write. Some days, the time is way earlier than I would like, but I make that appointment for myself. In fact, once that appointment is made, I am guarded about that time in the same way if I committed to a block of time to meet with someone else. The appointments we make with ourselves are often the most important yet often the ones we are most likely to cancel. Why is that? And if that is true, how does it serve us in the long term?

This is not just about exercise but can relate to anything important in your life. I am committed to the investment of time for my health because not will it only give me more time in the long run, but it will make me “better” during that time with others.

Find time to do what matters and helps you grow. If you keep those commitments to yourself, it will pay you back in the long run, as well as those around you.