Get your hair and nails done.Go to the spa.Buy some cute new clothes.Go to brunch with your girls.Take a weekend getaway.All of the above are pretty much the standard things you think of when it comes to self-care as a woman. Or at least, the above activities are the most common stress relievers women run to when we want a quick way to feel better about ourselves or our situation.While the above are certainly important (I just got a gel manicure last week. Love it!) at the end of the day, they're only temporary fixes. Self-care that lasts permanently is going to take something a little more enduring.True self-care as a woman takes investment.

Investing, Defined

I first learned about investing when I was 15 or 16 years old. My mom had read an article in a magazine that showed that if a 16 year old worked every summer until they were 21, managing to save a few thousand per year, they could invest it, never touch it or add to it again, and still earn $1,000,000 by the time they were retirement age. Fascinated by the article (my mom has always been savvy with money) she clipped it out and gave it to me.The power of investing really intrigued me, so after reading the article I went to the bookstore and bought my first book about money, The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens.I devoured the book and was blown away by it's principles. Up until that point, I thought all rich people were rich because they hit it big on some million dollar idea. Though there are certainly many wealthy people who did just that, I was surprised to learn that many people were wealthy because they chose to invest a relatively small amount over and over again until it snowballed into something much larger.The dictionary defines investing as:1. "To expend money with the expectation of achieving a profit or material result."2. "Devote (one's time, effort, or energy) to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result."The key criteria in both definition is that (1) you take a resource (time, money, effort, energy, etc) and you (2) put it in some sort of vehicle with the expectation that (3) as a result, you will get out more than you put in.While getting your hair and nails done, going to brunch, or buying cute clothes certainly have their place in a woman's life, the reason why those activities don't provide lasting self-improvement is because they aren't vehicles design to give you more than what you put in. You can spend a lot of money going on spa and weekend trips but outside of the fun you experience in the moment, you aren't likely to receive a last return for your efforts.

How to Invest in Yourself

So what's a woman to do if she wants to permanently feel better about herself and her situation...you know, live a "rich" life?I say, in addition to all your self-care activities (no, you don't have to give them up!) make sure you're investing in yourself as a woman. Investing in yourself means you are regularly putting your resources into things that will give you a return on your investment. From what I've experienced in my own life and what I've observed from other successful women, here are 10 ways you can invest in yourself and improve your situation for good:#1 - Relationship with GodThis is investment numero uno. I had to learn this the hard way but it wasn't until I stopped ignoring God and gave my life to Christ that my entire world began to change. On a spiritual level, investing in your relationship with God will give you greater peace and assurance - that you have a place and PURPOSE in this world!On a practical level, however, staying connected to God is just smart! Who doesn't want the Creator of the Universe making moves on your behalf??? I can't tell you how many times the most RANDOM doors have opened for me or the most amazing opportunities have seemingly just fallen out of the sky. Staying connected with God is pretty much the only investment with unlimited, never-ending returns.#2 - Your HealthIsn't it amazing that many women will take better care of their cars (or handbags...) than they will their own bodies? It's like the saying goes - "If you don't take care of your body, where else are you going to live?"Taking care of your health is a really important investment, as failure to do this will not only cause you not to see a return, but it'll take away gains made in other areas of your life. Yeah, you can make a lot of money, have an awesome career, and own a lot of nice things, but if you aren't even healthy enough to enjoy them, what's the point?If you're not in the practice of taking care of your health, please start today. Simple changes ("investments") in the food you eat and how often you exercise have the potential to bring MAJOR returns to your life. How you look and feel and thus, how confident you are, are all rooted in how much you invest in your health.#3 - Your HabitsThis is an investment many women are not willing to make unfortunately. (But you aren't one of those women! ;-) ). I've always loved the quote "People do not decide their future...they decide their habits and their habits decide their future" because it's spot on. You can work really hard in investing in your education, your network, your skills, etc, etc but if you can't get a handle on your bad habits then you might as well forget about it. Your daily practice - your habits - are what ultimately rule the day. If you haven't yet, take the time to improve things like your self-discipline, procrastination, time management, etc. Improving habits are always a great investment because it's one of the few investments we have an opportunity to build on every day.#4 - New ExperiencesWhen's the last time you tried something new? Or took a chance on yourself? Because life get so busy, it can be very easy to stay in our same routines, doing the same things day in and day out. While routine can be very helpful, you have to mix in new experiences as trying new things is really the only way to grow.Take the time to deliberately put yourself in situations where you're learning something new and are outside your comfort zone. If you "invest" in doing this regularly, you'll be surprised by the confidence you develop in handling whatever life throws your way.#5 - Your NetworkSimilar to #4, just as you have to get out there and try new experiences, you also have to get out there and try new social circles. Have you been associating with the same people and same groups of friends for years and years? While you certainly shouldn't ditch your life long friends and family, it's really important that you make the effort to add new people to the mix, as learning from others is one of the quickest ways to grow.Furthermore, our world literally runs on relationships. If you aren't seeing the results you want in your income and career in particular, the issue may not be what you're doing as much as it is who you know. As Jim Rohn says, "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with." If being the average of your circle makes you uneasy, it might be time to invest in meeting new people!#6 - BOOKS!!!You know what one of my greatest pet peeves is? I HATE IT when people BRAG about how much they don't read. It drives me crazy! I'm always amazed when someone shuns a book recommendation because they're like "Oh no, I don't really read." That just makes me go "What???" How could you not read??However, the sad fact is more than one-third of adults will not (voluntarily) read another book after leaving high school. Which is astonishing to me because books are the fastest (and cheapest!) way to learn new skills so you can move up in the world.To paraphrase everyone's favorite virtual mentor, Myleik Teele, "Reading creates confidence. If you suffer from a lack of self-confidence, it may be because you don’t have anything of value to say because you don’t read. If you just read blogs, scroll through pictures and watch TV all day…you won’t have anything to talk about when in a room with people who aren’t your immediate peers."Boom. Invest in some books, girlfriend.#7 - Skill MasteryMastery is defined as "a comprehensive knowledge or skill in a subject or accomplishment" and "control or superiority over something." Developing your talents and skills to the point of mastery is a GREAT investment, as once you are a master of something you have that knowledge for life. People who have mastered certain skills are also highly paid for their craft. The better you know how to do something, the more highly valued you become.What skills and talents do you already have? Are you investing in them -- practicing your skills, learning more about your craft, etc -- to the point of mastery? In his book "Outliers", Malcolm Gladwell estimates that it takes the average person about 10,000 hours or approximately 10 years to truly master a subject to the point where they can start playing on another level. That might seem like a long time but the time will pass anyway - better to get started by investing in your skills now.#8 - Debt EliminationThis is one of the most important yet overlooked ways to invest in yourself, especially as a woman. Most people know that having a lot of debt isn't good but women especially will just "sweep it under the rug", ignoring their financial situation in the hopes that it will get better.Though it stinks to have to scrimp and save in order to pay down debt, eliminating your debt quickly is one of the best things you can do as it frees you up to have options. You can have the best work ethic, the best business idea, the best goals, the best drive, the best whatever, but if you owe a ton of money, you are limited in the moves you can make. It's a sad but very real fact.If you currently are in debt, face your financial fears and make the "investment" of paying off your debt. Your future self will thank you!#9 - IncomeThe flip-side of paying down debt is improving your income. During my recent Masterclass with Myleik, one of the most profound things she said during our chat was how important it was for every woman to figure out ways to earn extra income.Making money is a skill. I think men learn this early because they are taught from an early age to provide for themselves but I think that as women, we sometimes forget that growing our incomes is a skill that must be learned and practiced. However, once you learn this skill, it's an invaluable ability to have because no matter what happens to your job or your financial situation, you can always get yourself back on track. Too many women find themselves financially trapped once they lose their job, or their marriage falls apart, or they get hit with an unexpected emergency precisely because their income was always dependent on something or someone else.If you're serious in investing in yourself as a woman, then you must, you must, you must get serious about investing in your ability to grow your income. When everything falls apart, your ability to provide for yourself is something no one else can take away.#10 - EducationAnd lastly, one of the best ways to invest in yourself as woman is to invest in your education. And though it's certainly an option, I don't necessarily mean going back to school. Because of the internet, we are blessed to literally have the entire world's information at our fingertips. If there's something we need to learn, at bare minimum we can Google it.And if the answer isn't not readily available on Google, there are thousands of courses, classes, online seminars, training programs, and coaches out there who can teach you what you need to know. One of my favorite motivational speakers, Eric Thomas, always says "the distance between you and your goals is information." Meaning, you would already be where you're trying to goif it weren't for your lack of education in some area.It can be hard to admit a lack of knowledge in a certain area but if you're willing to buckle down and invest in your own education - whatever that looks like for you - the faster you'll get to where you're trying to go.

Talk to Me:

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