by In this article, I’m going to teach you how to invest in yourself as a business owner. All so you can grow your business in 2021.
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I’m a firm believer that business is one part strategy and two parts mindset.
Because while building your business it becomes an extension of you and you’re not a robot. You have flaws, you make decisions based on emotion and you have that little voice in your head probably holding you back.
How to invest in yourself and grow your business at the same time
So when building or growing your business, investing in yourself could be the difference between a successful or a struggling business. Because when we work on ourselves, as our self-worth confidence and skills increase, so does our business’s ability to succeed.
So, here are four ways you can invest in yourself to propel your business forward as a result.
Investment #1: Set business and life goals
When working in our businesses it’s hard to see the bigger picture. In fact, sometimes it’s hard to see the bigger picture in life too.
- What exactly do you want to achieve in your business?
- What exactly do you want to achieve in life?
- How are you going to get there?
Rather than creating separate life and business goals or a bucket list, instead, it’s worth creating an impossible list.
I first found this technique in a video by Thomas Frank, he created a so-called impossible list of things he wanted to achieve in life and business.
This list was broken down into subsections with each goal crossed out and a date was added for when he completed it. Its goal is to help you stay connected to the bigger picture of your life and to help you see what needs to be done to achieve your goals.
I’ve also created an impossible list. It’s ever-evolving but serves in a way as motivation. You can see your progress clearly and see your path ahead too.
Investment #2: Fill your mind with the right things
If you’re anything like me you’ll find it very easy to sit down after a hard day of work and binge a Netflix series or watch tons of videos on YouTube.
In fact, I calculated every night I was spending at least three hours watching some kind of entertainment. That’s 21 hours a week!
This would have been fine if afterwards, I felt relaxed and rejuvenated, but actually, I found the opposite is true.
If this is you too it’s worth thinking about your time and what you spend it on.
- Could you be using this time or at least some of it filling your mind with useful or inspiring things?
- Could you take one hour in the evening to listen to a podcast that motivates you?
- Or spend your spare time reading books that help you reflect on life?
- Or use this time to watch videos that teach you something new, motivate or inspires you?
You become what you consume so make sure you consume as much as possible the things that will help you become a better version of yourself.
Investment #3: Empty your brain twice a day
Your brain’s a funny old thing. In fact, experts estimate that you think between 6,000 and 8,000 thoughts a day.
So it goes without saying that if you’re carrying those thoughts with you all day they’re going to impact the choices you make, how you solve problems and how you feel.
So do yourself a favour and develop a habit of emptying your brain of those thoughts twice a day.
You can see it as journaling or just writing notes. Either way, spend a few minutes in the morning writing down absolutely everything that’s going on in your mind, then close your notepad and get on with your day.
Do the same in the evening, preferably before you start to relax and you’ll be able to sleep better without so many thoughts rattling around in your mind.
By doing this you’ll not only be able to leave unwelcome thoughts behind but you’ll start to problem-solve and analyze your thoughts better with practice.
Investment #4: Prioritise the right kind of rest
While it’s important to fill your mind with the right things and then free it from its thoughts, it’s also important to give it a good rest.
When your business is your priority it’s hard to realize when to take a break, to relax or unwind, after all, there’s always more to do.
But this is precisely what you should do if you want your business to thrive. After all, if your business is reliant on you, then you need to be on top form rather than a tired and overworked mess.
So make sure when you finish work for the day and you’re done consuming the things that inspire you and lift you up, you do something truly relaxing that has absolutely nothing to do with work.
This could be:
- A creative hobby
- Reading a purely entertaining book
- Spending time with family
- Playing games
- and more
Experiment and find activities that both relax you and capture your attention so your mind has a chance to realize what life without work really feels like.
Trust me, it will benefit you in the long run by giving you perspective and help you see the bigger picture.
So tell me in the comments, will you be trying any of these techniques? Have any more to add? Let’s chat.
