10 Reasons Why Investing In Yourself Will Supercharge Your Life
I read an interesting statistic the other day. The average person has nearly 28,835 days, or 692,040 hours, on Earth, based on someone living up to the age of 79. We spend up to 33 years in bed and 440 days at work. (Source: Dreams).
It got me thinking; we know time is finite for everyone. However, the way we spend our time on Earth matters, especially in the fast-paced world we now live in. I don’t know about you, but it’s an eye-opener, especially if you think you have plenty of tomorrows. You don’t.
I believe it’s a good reason to want to supercharge your one-shot life. Here’s how you can do it.
❇️Look after your inner and outer wellbeing
❇️Play to your strengths
❇️Embrace Change
❇️Take control of your development
❇️Learn from Your Mistakes
❇️Seek Feedback
❇️Do better
❇️Think Better
❇️Journal your way to New Insights
❇️New Opportunities
Let me tell you about each one in a bit more detail
- Look after yourself
I’m a big fan of self-care and wellness. It matters on a personal, business, community and society level. Self-care isn’t some woo-woo 21st-century airy-fairy speak either.
Being concerned about yourself should be a top priority. Why? No one will do it for you either, not because they don’t care, but because they don’t know what you need.
To thrive, look after yourself well, internally and externally. Why? It impacts how you think and feel and determines your choices, the opportunities you choose, and the relationships you build. If you’re too tired or feel overwhelmed and exhausted, you might be tempted to pass over a new opportunity/execute a new project/ formulate a new idea just because you didn’t feel it.
2. Play To Your Strengths
When each day falls into a pattern or a routine, it’s easy to slip into the status quo and start drifting. It’s effortless to do when you don’t set stretch goals. Change can be too much to handle when it feels cosy or comfortable.
Discover Your True Strengths.
We all know our strengths, but do we truly understand them? You can navigate challenges more effectively when you are deeply aware of your strengths. You’ll know how to transition from one strength to another seamlessly.
Here’s a little exercise for you:
- Strength 1:
- Strength 2:
- Strength 3:
- Strength 4:
- Strength 5:
Now, take action. Use those strengths to your advantage.
3. Embrace Change
The only certainty is uncertainty in today’s world. You’re adapting to the changing world around you because, you know, change is constant in most industries, and those who can pivot and embrace new approaches or technologies are more likely to thrive.
When you embrace these moments of setback as opportunities for growth, you become more adept at handling significant setbacks and adversities with grace and resilience.
4. Take Control of Your development
Learning Comes in Many Forms. Gone are the days when the classroom provided the majority of learning. That’s not the case anymore because knowledge is everywhere, online, offline, on-site, offsite. It just depends on you and your preferred learning style.
You update your knowledge by reading and finding out what’s going on in your industry. You understand the challenges your business/sector faces today and tomorrow. You keep informed, remain competitively positioned, and talk to colleagues and management.
You’re aware that you’ve got more choices than you think you do. You appreciate that when you jump into the driving seat of your learning, your powerhouse will help you face tomorrow with greater confidence.
5. Learn From Your Mistakes
Mistakes? We’ve all made them, especially in our careers. If you haven’t made any, you’ve not set enough stretch goals. Whether you zigged when you should’ve zagged or missed that golden chance, it’s not about the rearview — it’s about the road ahead.
Here’s your 5-step blueprint to leave career regret in the dust:
❇️Have you made a mistake? Admit it. You can’t rewrite the past but can pen a killer next chapter.
❇️Ponder on that oops moment. What could’ve been better? Take the lesson, ditch the baggage, and prepare for a fresh start.
❇️Don’t get stuck in regret’s quicksand. Dial into your strengths, talents, and passions. That’s where your true north lies.
❇️Set clear, crisp career goals. Chalk out your journey and celebrate every milestone, big or small.
❇️Dive into action. Retrain, reconnect, or reinvent. Build the career you’ve always wanted.
6. Seek Feedback
Seek Feedback and Mentorship if needed. Why? Feedback is crucial for professional growth. Seek it regularly from colleagues, managers, or mentors. Don’t walk up to their despair or fire off emails requesting feedback.
Instead, think carefully about how you craft your message. Let them know you’re interested in developing yourself and would value and appreciate any feedback they may have.
Don’t just ask those you get on very well with. Why? It’s likely to be glowing feedback. Make a point of asking someone you respect but isn’t part of your inner circle at work. You’ll get constructive feedback, which will help you thrive.
Speaking of mentors, if you don’t have one, you might think of someone who can guide you. A mentor can provide invaluable insights into your industry, offer career advice, and help you navigate professional challenges.
7. Do better
What do I mean by this? Having an A+ mindset in the workplace is crucial. Developing a proactive mindset helps you to position yourself for better opportunities. How? You’re on the lookout as you connect different ideas in your powerhouse.
You’ll also be willing to shift gears when it matters. How? You’ll be focused on excellence and high performance and willing to go above and beyond. This mindset drives individuals to improve and deliver outstanding results constantly.
Your mindset encourages you to think creatively and find innovative solutions to problems. It challenges the status quo and pushes you to think outside the box. This mindset fosters a culture of innovation, explores new ideas, takes calculated risks, and finds creative approaches to improve processes and achieve better outcomes.
8. Think Better
You are what you think, so think well often.
You have the power to change your script anytime. How? are very powerful. Watch the tone. Otherwise, they have a habit of going on autopilot and auto-loop.
Use this to your advantage because it helps to manage your expectations.
9. Journal your way to new insights
Use Journalling As Your Secret Weapon. Why is journaling so powerful?
Writing down your thoughts and emotions clarifies the chaos of your mind. You can explore your feelings in detail as journaling helps you better understand yourself. By becoming more self-aware, you can identify patterns, triggers, and areas for improvement, leading to personal growth and positive change.
10. New Opportunities
Take a moment to look around you. What do you see? Perhaps a familiar setting with its daily routines, but with occasional new faces and challenges thrown in the mix? Remember, nothing remains the same, and that includes you. Life constantly evolves, and if you drift from one day to the next, it all becomes a blur on the weekends. So, ask yourself this: How much are you actively choosing to change every single day?
Consider the projects you’re working on or the fresh ideas you generate. Maybe you find yourself collaborating across departments or engaging with different stakeholders. Each presents an excellent opportunity to tap into and showcase your strengths in every interaction.
Imagine the following:
Rosie
When she was young, Rosie was happy and wanted to live on her own terms. She looked at the world with short-term glasses and thought fortune would always shine on her. Why not? She was young and had big dreams. She was never interested in her studies and left school at the first opportunity.
Rosie was unprepared for the real world, which came as a shock for her. She realised quickly that she didn’t have the skills needed to survive the competitive London job hunt. After trying for low-level jobs, she packed her bags and headed to Italy, where she had relatives.
Fast forward ten years, and she returned to London after working as an au pair, waitress and hairdresser. The world she left behind in her hometown was very different from the one she returned to. London felt like an alien world for her.
She got a hairdresser role in her local area as a step gap, and she thought she could use this time to figure out her next move. She never did. She ended up being signed off sick due to repetitive strain injury after a few years. She never worked as a hairdresser again.
Fast forward eight years, and she found a part-time job as a weekend team leader for a franchise retailer in the City of London. She doesn’t like her job, but it keeps her busy, and she gets to go on holiday a couple of times a year.
Can you see a pattern here? Rosie wore short-term glasses, which led her to stumble into roles without thinking ahead. Don’t get me wrong; short-term thinking isn’t wrong, but if it’s not complemented by upskilling, it can lead to dead-end moves. Rosie realised this as she clocked up the years and experienced many stop-starts.
Pippa
Pippa wasn’t naturally academic but worked hard and got excellent grades. She didn’t know what she wanted to do but applied to graduate programs after university, like many of her friends. She got accepted to a large FMCG in London and wanted to use her time to travel and work in the company’s different offices. She was particularly interested in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Pippa’s company provided her with many on-the-job and offsite training as she was identified as a high-potential leader. Pippa didn’t rely on her bosses to help her. She also found time to develop her soft skills through her side hustle. She spent an hour each evening and a couple of hours over the weekend.
Pippa made AI-generated digital prints and sold them on Etsy. Her shop was doing very well and had made 25% profit since starting the side hustle during lockdown in 2020. She considered getting someone to help her handle the orders and her social media accounts.
Pippa had the blessing of her bosses, who knew about her side hustle. They encouraged her because they particularly liked her entrepreneurial skills, as she demonstrated creativity and initiated innovative ideas in her day job. Pippa received high scores in her latest appraisal, was earmarked for a promotion, and moved to Singapore later in the year.
Who said learning has to come from books? In Pippa’s case, she was learning and having fun simultaneously. It kept her skill set relevant and competitive in the 21st Century.
N: B Rosie and Pippa are fictional characters and do not resemble anyone.
Parting Comments
What are you waiting for? There’s no time like the present. When things don’t go as planned, take a step back and reflect on what you can learn from the experience. This can help you bounce back more quickly in the future.
Do yourself a high favour and learn something new. Why? It will help you improve your skills and knowledge, stay relevant in your industry, or prepare for new opportunities. Be open to learning new technologies, taking courses, and attending conferences.
Thank you for your attention.
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Pervin
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