Investing is important. Some consider their financial, relational, and employment investments as the most important, and even check their gains daily. But what about investing in yourself? Do you take time to invest in yourself? Are you still growing – or have you become stagnant?
The illustration of stagnant water is simple and powerful. If water sits in a pool without movement it progressively becomes contaminated, and germs and bacteria start to come alive. But when water is flowing, like in a river, those impurities cannot grow. The same is true when it comes to investing in yourself, if you are not growing you become stagnant, but when you are continually investing in yourself, you become like the flowing river – incapable of growing impurities.
A stagnant pool of water sits and is cooked underneath the heat of the sun. This represents someone who thinks they have it all together, know their industry inside and out, don’t need a mentor, don’t need an accountability system, and don’t attend seminars and trainings. But a river is constantly on the move. It’s constantly learning and growing and as soon as impurities begin to grow, its already down the stream, too far ahead.
Invest in yourself in these 3 ways:
1. Be a learner – As soon as you stop learning, you will be history.
2. Get a mentor – Have someone speak into your life with authority, as a guide, who knows where you are going and wants to see you get ahead. The wisdom of an elder is rarely maximized. They can teach you lesson that take a life time to learn.
3. Accountability – Surround yourself with people who are going to build you up, and keep you in place. They will keep you on track and provide opportunities to build stronger networks.
