If you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to invest. Ummm…. invest in what? Shares, Bonds, Property?
Nope, you need to invest in you!
And you know why? Because if you break, your business breaks.
You need to invest in your personal sanity and protection to ensure you are working at optimum pace, but not optimum hours.
Here are our top 5 investments to improve your business that you can make right now.
1. Sleep
I personally love this one. It is the easiest and best investment you can make. Sleep will cost you nothing, there is no financial outlay and no burden. Simply rest, relax and rejuvenate.
If you are a bit of a night owl, you will notice that you get a lot done at night, but your mornings may be a little sluggish. Getting a good night’s sleep will improve your mornings and you will actually get more done. True story!
You may need to find a nice quiet place without the kids around though!
2. Meditation
I know some of you will have images of yoga mats and scented candles swirling around in your mind right now, but it doesn’t have to be all that. Meditation is simply setting aside some time, even 5 minutes a day, to clear your mind.
Listen to your favourite soft music or just sit in the quiet and clear your mind of all the things that keep running through it, cluttering up valuable space. You will feel more refreshed and focused and able to get back to what you were doing.
3. Exercise
This is another big motivator and again, it doesn’t have to cost you a cent. Sure, you can pay a gym membership, but why do that when you have a nice park at the end of the street or you can take the dog for a walk? Exercise doesn’t have to be weights, running tracks and cross-trainers. A simple walk or jog can do wonders for your motivation as well as your mindset.
Exercise gets your blood circulating and you always feel better after doing it. The hard part is finding the energy to start, but honestly, once you do you will be hooked!
4. Mentor
I will preface by saying this one will cost you, but your investment will be returned ten-fold if you find the right person for you. A mentor can help you make those decisions that you’ve been sitting on for way too long. You know the ones, the curly won’t go away issues that you keep on going back and forth with… should I or shouldn’t I?
A mentor will help you assess what outcome you’re after and then help you figure out how to get there. They are removed from the emotional attachment, so they will be able to give you unbiased, clear advice. Your decision making time will be shortened therefore making you more efficient and your business more profitable. Make sure you sit with a mentor and chat in person or on the phone to ensure they are the right fit for you and your business.
5. Speed Reading
You may be laughing at this one and it is sort of funny. After all, how can speed reading improve me or my business? But what if you could halve your reading time?
How many blogs do you read a day? How many articles do you sit there skimming, trying to suck all the knowledge out of, only to look up and realise three hours have passed?!
A speed reading class should be taken in person, as you will get the most benefit out of it that way, but you can also do them online. This is a monetary investment of around $200, but think of all the time you can save or better still, the more articles you can read in that time.
Investing in your business doesn’t always mean dollars and it doesn’t always mean your business physically. You are your business so you need to invest just as much into yourself as you do into it.
