When was the last time you invested in yourself?
As a business owner, you might scoff at the idea. With a never-ending barrage of tasks and responsibilities to manage, the very idea of focussing on yourself might be far from your mind. Just when are you supposed to get the time? It’s tough; we get it.
Yet here’s the thing. When you invest in yourself, you might also improve your business, so while you might reject the notion to concentrate on yourself away from your daily duties, you might one day feel the benefits.
So, here’s what you need to do.
Firstly, keep reading this article. You have already made it this far after all, so despite your eagerness to get back to your accounts and marketing (and the gazillion other tasks you need to crack on with today) you may as well give us the next few minutes of your time – our article will be helpful to you, we promise.
Secondly, read our article on time-management. It won’t take you long to get through it, and once you have, you will then have the knowhow to manage your time to give you the opportunity to focus on the suggestions we are going to give you in this article.
Without further ado then, these are just a few of the things you need to do to invest in yourself and improve your business.
#1: Go back to school
Okay, while we appreciate the idea of studying and coursework is as appealing as that wet lettuce sandwich you have in your packed lunch box (we are assuming), know that this could be the key to improving your business.
There are hundreds of courses available to you, so pick and choose any that might be relevant to your needs. On a basic level, you might take a business management course if you haven’t already, as this will give you a broad understanding of business basics, including accounting, marketing, policymaking, and goal setting. Think about the areas of your business that you are weakest in too, and consider taking a course on or offline to improve your skills. So, you might take an accountancy course if your budgeting is subpar, or a leadership training course if you struggle to manage your employees. Think about out-of-the-box courses that could also have a positive impact on your business, such as an applied psychology course at the University of Southern California, to help you better understand and communicate with your customers and employees.
By going back to school, you will…
– Have the skills to improve and grow your business.
– Have the capacity for better quality work to increase your reputation with customers.
– Have more authority on certain subjects when talking to clients and business professionals.
– Improve your credibility with others.
– Have less need to spend your profits on outsourcing.
– And have professional certifications to impress others with on your business website.
In many ways, going back to school will have big returns for you and your business, so have a look at the courses that might directly relate to your specific needs. Thankfully, you don’t have to give up huge chunks of your time to attend classes either, as most courses can be taken at home on a flexible basis, so don’t use the excuse of ‘I don’t have time’ to wriggle out of your need to learn.
#2: Use your spare time to read something
You have already made headway with this by reading our article. Well done, I hope you are enjoying what we have written thus far! And there are hundreds and thousands of other articles online, many of which will help you to improve your business. Therefore, bookmark a few business blogs (remembering to bookmark our site), as well as those websites that can provide specialist information on the industry you are involved in, and spend time each week gaining as much knowledge as you can from the wisdom and experience of others.
Then make room on your bookshelf for those books that could help you to improve your business.
So, you might buy books on business leadership to help you better manage the day-to-day running of your operation.
You might buy books on financial management for helpful tips on how to manage and budget your finances.
And, especially considering the next couple of points in this article, you might also buy books on self-care, as being a busy business owner, you do need to place a focus on your stress levels if you have any hope of surviving life in business with your sanity intact.
Each of our links point to the appropriate places on Amazon, so browse through the selections on offer, and despite the expense, buy anything that you know will help you to improve yourself and your business. Be sure to read book reviews on Amazon and beyond to ensure you’re making a worthy purchase. And hey, if you can’t be bothered reading something because of that well-worn excuse we have already mentioned – ‘I don’t have the time’ – buy the audiobook versions of any relevant books, as you will then be able to listen to the authors on your daily commute or when you’re lying back on the sofa at the end of your long working day.
By improving your knowledge, you will then have the ability to both improve your business and better yourself as a person.
#3: Give yourself a break
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and it also makes him a very tired and burned out boy too. Poor Jack!
Take heed of this classic saying that we have sabotaged for the purposes of this article, and relate it to yourself. How are you feeling today?
If you are feeling exhausted, stressed, anxious, or depressed as a consequence of running your business, then you need to know that these are just some of the signs of burnout. If you continue to work yourself into the ground, you will eventually become too ill to work and not only will you suffer the effects of ill-health but your business will too. While you might balk at the idea, taking some away from work will ultimately be beneficial to both you and your business then. You will then come back to work feeling refreshed and recharged, and you will have a greater capacity to steer your business towards success instead of into the ground should you have crashed and burned also.
You should also take more breaks during the day. As you can see in this article, by doing so, you will improve your productivity as you will be less likely to get into a mental muddle through tiredness. By taking more breaks, you will also protect yourself from job-related work accidents as you will be more focussed and alert during the day, and you won’t fall asleep at the desk, which would, of course, cause you and your business no end of trouble if you missed deadlines or found yourself having to work overtime as a consequence.
So, with all of the above in mind, ask yourself two questions.
How many breaks do I take in the day?
When did I last treat myself to some vacation time?
If you know you haven’t given yourself the time off that you are due, then make changes. Give yourself more breaks during the day, and at these times, engage with anything that will improve your productivity, including exercise and healthy eating. And take an extended break away from work, delegating your responsibilities to others if you need to so you can better manage to rest while you’re away without worrying about anything business-related.
By giving yourself more breaks, you will improve your productivity at work, and you will also improve your long-term health as you shouldn’t fall prey to stress and burnout as a consequence of working too hard.
#4: Focus on self-care
We have already touched upon this in our last point, as by taking more breaks in your life, you are essentially caring for your mental and emotional wellbeing.
However, self-care can also accommodate other factors.
If you don’t spend enough time in exercise, for example, make an effort to up your fitness in your everyday life. So, you might go for a walk before work begins for the day, use your legs rather than your car to commute to work, and you might visit the gym once work has ended. As we suggested previously, you might also take opportunities to exercise during your break times. By improving your fitness levels in these ways, your productivity at work will improve, and that can only be good for your business.
Think about the foods you eat too. If you aren’t eating healthily, you won’t be doing your mind and body any favors, and this will not only hurt you, but it will hurt your business too if your poor food choices lead to poor productivity. Teach yourself how to cook if you haven’t already, and then create healthy meals to improve both your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your business (as you will be more energized and ready to work as a consequence).
Finally, sort out any other bad habits you might be prone too, such as drinking and smoking. Not only are they bad for your health, but they might also prove an obstacle to business growth if you are unable to work because of them. Seek advice from a doctor, and/or attend therapy groups to get you back on the right track.
Finally
We have listed just a few of the ways in which to invest in yourself, and while some of them might seem time-consuming, know that in terms of your business, your time will be well spent if you concentrate on them.
So, think about yourself then. If you need to make any changes in your life, then do so. You will improve and consequently, so will your business.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article – we hope you found it useful and dare we say it, life-changing! Let us know what you think.
