Last Updated on February 15, 2023 by the thought method co.

If you google “best investments” you will probably find an article like this one toting high-yield savings accounts, bonds, dividend stocks, etc.

And while making financial investments is a great way to improve your financial portfolio, there is another type of investment you need to make if you want to be successful.

Self-Investment

Investing in yourself is making efforts to improve your life in a variety of ways. This includes things like learning new skills, building knowledge, working on your physical and mental health, and making connections with others. It is an investment in your long-term success and wellbeing that will pay off in a variety of ways.

Self-help, personal development and skill building all fall under the umbrella of self-investment.

Benefits of Self-Investment

Taking time to invest in yourself will have a profoundly positive and lasting impact on every area of your life.

Self-investment is critical in improving your quality of life. And no matter what your goals, self-investment will help you achieve them. Because when you invest in yourself you develop new skills. Skills that will benefit you in every area of your life and help you overcome whatever is keeping you stuck.

Self-investment helps you reduce anxiety, depression and stress. And it will help you build confidence, become a better leader, and create more meaningful and fulfilling relationships. Investing in yourself will help you increase productivity and improve overall wellbeing.

Self-Investment Is the Best Investment

When it comes to investing, people typically focus on financial investments. And while it is important to build a strong financial portfolio, none of it matters if you do not also invest in yourself.

This is due to many factors, including the fact money does not buy happiness (no matter what anyone tells you). And people who equate money to happiness are more miserable than those who don’t.

Having money to cover basic needs can help to provide peace of mind and security, which can contribute to overall happiness. However, happiness is subjective and comes from within. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to determine how much money it would take to make them happy, but they will not be happy with any amount of money if they do not invest in producing a winning mindset.

This is why you see lottery winners who lose it all, rich celebrities who die by suicide and rich people who are miserable and surrounded by drama.

How to Start Investing in Yourself

If self-investment is a new topic for you, you might wonder where to begin. You can start by focusing on how you already invested in yourself. Because when you align your previous accomplishments with a new goal, you have real world evidence showing you that you can achieve the new goal.

You might have already invested in yourself by taking courses to further your education, getting your college degree or a certification. You may have invested in your physical health by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly, and by taking the time to build meaningful relationships with friends and family. And you may have already invested in your mental health by reading self-help book or listening to podcasts.

Self-investment can also look like taking time to explore your passions and hobbies or saying “no” to an unrealistic request.

If you are having trouble finding something, then you aren’t looking hard enough. Because you are literally reading an article about self-investment and you are here for a reason—even if by accident—which means you are already directing your attention towards self-investment.

And if you feel you haven’t done a lot towards self-investment, don’t worry. It means you have a lot of opportunity for growth so you are going to see some massive improvements.

After you decided you want to invest in yourself, you can create clarity and give yourself direction by creating an inventory list of what you like, don’t like and what you are indifferent about. Learn more about that here.

Download a free Likes and Dislikes inventory template here.