If your morning begins with bad news about your investments each day, then you need to come up with a better strategy for life. If the latest downturn in your primary investments puts a damper on your emotions every day, then you need to radically alter your routine. One piece of advice that many investors and other business consultants give is so simple that we often don’t think of it: invest in you.
Unlike the various companies and funds that are performing poorly right now and are quite independent of your control, you have considerable influence on how you perform on a daily basis. Rather than wallow in poor investment news, make a vow to improve yourself professionally and get more for your personal investments in yourself, and as part of that investment, inform yourself on how to be a more savvy investor.
This two-part strategy can lead to great financial gain in a relatively short amount of time, as well as lift your mood as you seize control of your destiny and know that you are doing something about your financial future other than watching discouraging numbers tick across a screen.
3 Key steps that you can take to invest in yourself:
Network of Contacts
Work on your professional network of contacts. Even if you are not someone who circulates in high society, you can take definite steps to bolster your professional network in a variety of directions. For instance, through social media, you can grow a network in a matter of minutes. If your investment returns are slow or even negative, why not figure out how to increase your earnings in whatever line of work you are in by interacting more frequently with others in your field? That could be one great way to invest in you. As you pick each other’s brains about the best way to grow a landscaping business, for instance, you will pick up ideas that will make you a better business owner and could easily lead to greater success. While you are picking brains, why not get to know a few people who see consistently good results with their investments? Troll around a bit on the Net or at your local club or church and seek out people who seem to understand the stock market better than you do. Ask a lot of questions and gain more insight in 30 minutes than you might in years of education. Build your network in terms of quality and quantity, with the most emphasis on the former. It’s quite easy if you try. Stop denying those LinkedIn requests; start to respond favorably and see what can happen. You not only can gain investment insight that can lead to future profits, you might change your career course in a way that will leave you never looking back.
Build your Brand
As you begin to network more actively, think about how you can build your personal brand. As you consider yourself as a brand (and you are one, no question about it!), you can take all sorts of excellent steps to bolster your brand. What kind of impression do you make on people? What does a Google search of your name turn up? What does your business card look like? Your resume? The message on your voice mail? Take some time to research how to build your brand and then take the appropriate action. There are many blogs on line that can help with this. Building your brand is a great way to invest in you.
Find a Mentor
As you network more actively and tidy up your personal brand, keep your eyes open for a mentor. As you make more contacts and gain confidence among people in the know, you should constantly keep your antennae up for a mentor who could guide you to greater investment returns. As you ask questions and get to know fellow investors better, you will eventually find one with whom you click, someone who has consistently invested wisely and is actually enjoyable to interact with. Latch on to this person! Find out what his/her secret to success is and copy as much of his/her strategy as you feel comfortable with. The results can be stunning. The importance of mentorship is gaining fans in academic and business circles, for good reason. It is a sound way to pass on and receive knowledge
If your investments are not producing what you’d like, it’s probably time to invest in something that can yield a sure return—you. By following the steps listed above and other advice about investment in oneself (available all over the Web), you can grab greater control of your personal and financial destiny and not let the market alone dictate your happiness or financial standing, so start today, invest in you.