I’m gonna start this off by saying that I am a total self-help junkie. Podcasts, books, articles, motivational cat posters, I’ve read it all. When I started my own business with Arbonne International, I had to learn a lot about personal growth, because being a salesperson is absolutely impossible without having faith in yourself. Before that, I never really saw the power of those little things, such as gratitude journaling and goal-setting. All of these things are ways you can invest in yourself. I started to incorporate these things into my daily routine and to my surprise, I saw results! I was actually reaching my goals. I was HAPPIER! I’m in no way an early-riser, but my new routine had me ready to spring out of bed and carpe the diem every day! You don’t have to take my word for it. You may be thinking to yourself, just as I was a few months ago, “Yeah, right. I don’t need to do those things. I’m happy the way that I am.” My goal is to enlighten you to the fact that we are all a work in progress and could use a few of these tips, at any stage of life. I’m going to teach you three simple, small ways that you can start investing in yourself TODAY, and hopefully be on the path to a greater sense of being and a happier life.
- Gratitude journaling
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This one sounded the most cliche to me. However, this little tip has made the most difference in my life. All you need to do is get a notebook and a pen (bonus points for cute colors/doodles). Write down 10 things in that moment that you are grateful for. It could be anything, like your pet who snuggles you every night, your car that gets you where you need to go, or your best friend who always has your back. Write them down and read it over. And read it again. It might seem silly at first, but in a fast-paced world like this, we all need to sloooow down and smell the roses sometimes. Do this every single morning before you get out of bed, or while you’re having your morning coffee or wherever you can fit it into your busy schedule. You’d be surprised how fulfilling it is to take a moment to focus on the good in life, especially when everything else seems to be going out of control.
- Read, read, and read some more
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My favorite self-investment method is reading personal growth books. I know some of you out there haven’t picked up a book since high school, but you’re reading this! Self-investment books are very easy reads and very easy ways to fill your brain with motivational and inspiring things that might change your life. If I had to recommend any book, it would be You are a BADASS, by Jen Sincero. The name says it all for that one. It’s a lighthearted, real story that helped me so much when I was struggling with self-doubt. Close your apps on your phone, stop scrolling, and read 10 pages (or more!) a day. Use this time to put your full focus into what you are reading. It makes all the difference.
- Affirmations
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This is the one I was most skeptical about. If you think about it too much, saying things out loud to yourself in the mirror really makes you think that you might be going crazy. I promise you’re not! Pick out 5-10 simple, small sentences about yourself and write them down. Some really great simple ones are as such: “I am beautiful.” “I am worthy of greatness.” “I deserve love.”. You might cringe at the thought of writing these down, but the brain responds very well to repetition. Say these phrases (yes, out loud!) to yourself in the mirror every day. Maybe quietly, so your roommate doesn’t think you really lost it this time (hah!). Once you say these over and over to yourself, your brain will actually train itself to believe them. Take your biggest insecurity (for me, my feet!) and put a positive spin on it. For instance, “I love the mole on my face!”, or “My nose is perfect the way it is.” You will start to fall in love with that part of yourself you couldn’t stand before, no matter how irrational it was. I know it sounds far-fetched, but give it a try and thank me later.
I could go on and on about self-help and self-investment for days. You don’t have to believe that any of these work, but if all else fails, you might as well try them just to prove me wrong (you won’t, they really work!). Empowerment is a gift you have to give yourself because in today’s world it is easier to pick up negative habits and thought patterns than it is to pick up positive habits. I genuinely hope that you take these small things to heart. Replace those extra 10 minutes of scrolling on Instagram with these three things. The golden rule with investing in yourself is to BE CONSISTENT! Maybe, just maybe, you’ll learn something from it. Hopefully, you’ll smile more, and appreciate yourself for being the awesome, smart, talented person that you are.