Invest In Yourself – The Real Journey Begins

Although this is the final article in the “Invest in Yourself” series, this will not be my final article regarding investing in yourself. I believe this is not the final phase of your journey. It is just the beginning. I am so excited for you and look forward to growing with you. Investing is an evolving process. For you to continue with this process, you must be willing to be uncomfortable, to mature, to learn, to promote and invest in yourself daily. It is well worth every challenge.

Let’s Trace the Journey

In our first article, “undertaking” and “favored” started off the journey. This was an opportunity to define your self-investment. Identify your values, your untapped desires and what you are afraid of losing. This was a time of reflection, prayer, mediation to cut out the noise and think about your path. This was also the start of your journal to log your thoughts and ideas.

In our second article, we explored LOVE (Look for Opportunities of Venture and Endorsements). We also further explored our undertakings to determine which items were realistic and obtainable. I trust you completed the exercise to determine your true investments.

Last Month, we took a pause to determine if you were on track.  We also explored if FEAR was keeping you frozen and hindering you from finding richness in your life. We added measurement tools such as timelines and reviewed what support was needed to move forward. While investing in yourself, I asked each of you to invest time as we move into thinking and the planning phase.

Are You Stuck?

I hope I didn’t lose you in this process. The process can be frightful, but also rewarding. Are you stuck or are you ready to move forward? If you are stuck, I suggest going back to the beginning with clarity and determination. If you are not clear, you may consider partnering with a coach. At this point, I can see you really want to invest in yourself, however, something is stopping you or you are unsure how to move forward. A coach will assist you with your journey.

Are You Ready to Move Forward?

For those of you that are ready to move forward, let’s move to the next task. During your month of deep thinking and planning, did any of your undertakings (goals) change? What was the reason for the change? Not obtainable, not realistic or fear? Is it a goal that is not obtainable or unrealistic at this moment? Is it possible to add these items as  future goals in your journal? If it is fear, I strongly suggest coaching to overcome that fear and remove the barrier.

Establishing A Timeline

Did you determine a timeline for each task? If yes, great. Let’s breakdown the tasks into three categories: Immediate Goals, Short-Term Goals and Long-Term Goals. The Immediate Goals should be anything that can and will be accomplished within one-month.  Short-Term Goals are items that can be completed within two to six months. Long-term Goals are goals that will take more than 12 months to complete.  This outline is just an example, as many of us have competing commitments, therefore the timeline may be a little different. That is ok, the most important factor is for the timeline to be realistic, obtainable and purposeful. Bottom line, Reach that Goal!

What’s Next

We have approached the stage where all the work is on you. You have determined what support is needed. If it was resources – Did you have an opportunity to outline the resources you need, i.e. people, finances, courage? Let’s explore that short list. There may be many other items, however, for this article, we will review the common ones:

People: This one could go two ways (1) family support (2) additional people to carry out your goal(s). If family— what does support look like? Is it being understanding of your time and investment? Do you need your support group to assist or their “buy-in” to be successful? What does that conversation look like? You need to determine your needs and how your family or others can support you.

Do you need individuals to support or carry out your goal(s)? Determine your needs and the expectations of others? Would this be a partnership? If yes, you will need to outline the partnership. I suggest testing the chemistry before taking that leap. What are other options, if this individual does not support your vision/your goal?

Finances: Does your undertaking/venture have an impact on your current finances? Have you had the opportunity to review your finances? If not and you are employed, please take the time to outline required bills (necessity), and what are non-required bills? Outline all your bills. What are your priorities? Putting food on your table, roof over your head and required utilities? Let’s do a quick exercise:

*This is a great tool to adopt for finances and planning.

Calling It Out

If you notice, I listed courage under resource needed. However, I did not discuss it in the section above. Courage or lack of courage needs an independent section.

Have you developed your courage to claim what is needed to invest in yourself? If yes, great. Is there anything else stopping you from moving forward? If not, Congratulations on your first major achievement – YOU. Now step out and achieve your undertakings.

Don’t Give Up

As I stated multiple times, some of your investments will not happen overnight. You have entered an ongoing process. There will be times you may be stuck, turned around, questioning your decision or life just happens. The key is will these distractions deteriorate your efforts or will you take another path. I asked each of you to keep a journal. The purpose is to document your struggles and successes as you travel this road. When you enter those points where you cannot see ahead, review your successes. Also stay consistent with your prayers, meditation, yoga, etc., whatever keeps you centered. This will give you the push needed to move forward.

The “Invest in Yourself” articles will be available online. I suggest rereading the series twice a year. Investments are not a onetime venture.

I Am Here

MJ Professional Coaching is available to work with you.  I know this process is difficult, especially when the outcome is not clear. The outcome is not clear because you do not trust yourself. If you need a partner to walk with you and see you through, MJ Professional Coaching is the perfect partner.

I look forward to a season or a lifetime partnership. You determine your needs.

Again, Thank You for taking this journey with me. I appreciate your efforts and hope you were able to find value in this series. Congratulations and keep me updated on your outcomes.

Upcoming

Next month, I will start a new series entitled “Investing in Your Staff”.  Now that you have invested in yourself, it is time to pay it forward.  Investing in your staff will be of value to you and your staff.  The upcoming series will be a great benefit for all managers and entrepreneurs.  I look forward to working with you and watching your staff and business grow.