Investing in Our Success

I often talk about the pull of entitlement vs. the power of investment when it comes to one's success. Recently, several people have asked me to explain exactly what I mean in terms of “investment.”  I hope this article will stimulate your thinking so that you can put together a checklist for investing in your journey to success.
 
When we hear investment we usually think in terms of our finances. We put money into something in the hope that it will generate more money, i.e., it grows, it gets better, it becomes more than it was. So let's take a look at some other areas we need to invest in, and I’ll provide a few thoughts on each.
 
Our CAREER

· Read every day about what the most successful people in your field are doing

· Read every day about what the unsuccessful did to cause their failures (many people overlook this as a valuable educational tool as well)

· Ask questions of people who are where you want to be

· Commit to the details of your job

· Never take a “day off” from growth and development
 

Our HEALTH

· Find time to walk or run each day (use it as your “think time” and maybe even take something to jot down your thoughts or put them in your phone)

· We all watch tv -- and probably more than we should. Try doing something during commercials like pushups, sit-ups, or stretches

· Try to focus on eliminating bad foods from your diet – when in doubt, DON’T; when you know for sure, make that right choice

 
Our RELATIONSHIPS

· Take time each day to build them (consistency builds true relationships)

· Tell the truth every time

· Let the other person be right as well – we don’t have to be right all the time

Take some time and put some thought to every aspect of your life that is important to you. Could be your health. Could be your team. Could be those you manage.  Then build your own “INVESTMENT CHECKLIST” and keep track of whether you are investing in that list every day. 
One of mine is to read two hours every day.  
 
What I think you will find is that the investment you put into yourself will pay far greater dividends than even some of the financial investments you have made…because YOU CAN CONTROL your Personal INVESTMENT!