Investing in Yourself

If you hate getting out of bed every morning because you are stuck in a meaningless routine, tiring job, classes you hate, and friends that you don't even like to be around, this one's for you.

As humans we are often told to invest in stocks and bonds, real estate, gold. I am a huge believer in these investments, by the way. While these are important things to invest in for your future, the true progress comes when investing in yourself for your now.

Have you ever been in a hopeless rut? Maybe you got fired from a job that was keeping you afloat or dumped by your boyfriend of 3 years. Or maybe you've felt this way for a while.

Well, I certainly have.

Most of my life I was questioning my purpose in being on this earth. What do I want to do with my life? Am I doing the right thing? Am I happy? What will make me happy? Is it lots of money that I need?

More often than not what you are NOT doing for yourself is your downfall. How can you expect to feel your best and live a meaningful, fulfilling life when you don't invest in yourself?

When I say invest in yourself, what I don't mean is spending $2000 on a shopping spree to make yourself temporarily feel good. No, don't do that. Well, you can. But try to keep the shopping sprees to a minimum.

I can think of 3 things I did to really change my life around for the better. After I did these things, I could see more clearly. I was motivated to actually live my life instead of going through the motions. I saw a massive change in my attitude towards most things and was able to enjoy the little things in life that most people take for granted. Are you really ready to make a shift? Or are you comfortable where you are and not willing to sacrifice some effort to change your future?

I chose to change because ultimately I was sick of feeling nothing.

So...what should you do to change your life around?

Here is what I did. And I'm so happy that I started putting myself first.

Take Care of Your Body

Can you tell me the last time you took an hour out of your day to go to the gym? I understand what it's like to feel like you don't have the time. But the thing is, you do! If you choose to invest in you, you will make time in your day to take care of your body. This could mean stretching for 20 minutes in the morning, following a pilates tutorial at home on your lunch break, or taking a drive to the gym for a 30 minute weight-lifting session after class.

If you can tell me one time that you didn't feel better after a workout than you did before it, I will leave you alone. I personally can't say that I've ever regretted exercise of any kind.

"Ew, Karen! That pilates class was horrible - I hate how I feel right now!" said no one, ever.

Make yourself a priority and incorporate movement into your routine. You will thank yourself for it later.

I'm not always motivated to go work out. Honestly, I am rarely motivated. However, I remind myself to be disciplined and reap the benefits later.

Or, I put on a cute gym fit and dance in the mirror until I feel like a bad b****.

The fit I'm linking below is my absolute fav from Amazon. It hugs the curves in the right places plus it is SUPER comfy and squat proof. I receive a small commission if you decide to purchase through clicking on this photo!

I take care of my body in plenty of ways. Another way being eating right! I will be the first person to admit I do not always eat perfectly, but I certainly do try. And having balance (indulging in several pieces of candy at least three nights a week) is part of life, right?

The most important thing I pay attention to is my protein intake. I have protein heavy meals like a turkey sandwich or chicken and rice for lunch. When I started implementing this into my routine regularly I saw a massive difference in how much muscle growth I was seeing. AKA booty gains. And I got hooked, quite honestly. I also try to get protein in by eating greek yogurt and mixing in collagen protein as a snack. It is SO yummy and satisfies my sweet tooth 9 times out of 10. The other time you'll catch me eating 6 peanut butter cups in one sitting. Not sorry about it.

Look After Your Mind

Okay, going to the gym and eating right can do a lot for you, but it doesn't fix all of your problems. No one goes to the gym 5 times and is like "You know what Ted? I DON'T hate life! I love my job! And the kids NEVER get on my nerves - what little angels we have!"

Taking care of your body is one thing, but let's go a step further. This one is more of a work in progress for me, and it comes with practice. I love going out and seeing friends, getting dinner and drinks, and staying up 'til 3 am more than anyone I know. However, this kind of hobby can really hinder your life progress and mental well-being. I can talk about this in another post.

For a while I was a weekend drinker leading to the most awful and scary Sundays and even Mondays. Sunday Scaries were DEF a real thing for me. And drinking can lead you to make impulsive decisions that you may regret later on.

This is what ultimately lead to my more-sober life now. I absolutely recommend this change to anyone who is a frequent drinker and is struggling. I have amazing Saturday and Sunday mornings and extremely productive weekends. I have stronger relationships due to a healthier mindset.

However, I'm not here to tell you to stop drinking or enjoying yourself however you want to. I'm letting you know what worked for me, and what changed my life for the better.

ANYWAY! I started putting my own needs first and naturally stopped going out religiously on the weekends. This can be very healing.

I feel like this can apply to most bad habits people have. If you're obsessed with playing video games, or love to scroll on TikTok for hours, you could probably benefit from a break.

There are many things in life that are easy to get addicted to. Something like social media usage is cheap dopamine and it's EASY. That's why it's difficult to give up. But the things in life that light our soul on fire and give us real dopamine highs take effort.

Do yourself a big favor and get off your phone. Go for a walk. Journal your thoughts. Listen to a podcast. Go on a date with yourself to the beach or take yourself out to dinner. Put yourself first and forget the easy highs.

Feed Your Soul and Spirit

I've never really understood the word "spiritual". Many people associate it with religion, however, it's defined as relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things. I have found that being spiritual can include having meaningful conversations and connecting with people, or asking deep questions like what happens after death. It can mean believing in something greater than yourself. However you want to think about it, I believe most humans have a spiritual nature to them.

For my soul, I meditate. Meditation can ground you in the moment and help you feel connected to your body. It can help you catch your breath and feel alive. Lots of us are living in a state of constant commotion and don't give ourselves the time of day to breathe.

I try to do yoga at times. Key word is try here. Yoga is tough, but similarly to meditation, yoga can help to ground us whilst moving our bodies. Highly recommend everyone give it a try at least once in their life - you can find plenty of tutorials for beginners through a quick google search.

Or, if you're a yogi pro - teach me. Lol. A girl could use some tips.

By doing these 3 things, you put yourself first. You will forget about the boyfriend who dumped you and the job that fired you. You will have love for yourself. This love will turn into the belief that you can do anything you set your mind to. And you'll realize life is about SO much more than your pathetic ex or boss who didn't care about you. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you invest in your own being, the doors to the rest of the world will swing open and the rest will come naturally.