By Stephen Buller
What does it mean to invest in yourself? Some might say it’s finding time for a hobby, or family, vegging out with a favorite movie, or relaxing with a friend and a beer. Money isn’t everything, after all. It is, however, half of almost every transaction we engage in. It is a huge part of our daily lives, from having enough to eat and a roof over our heads, to recreation and travel.
When you hear the term investing, you probably think of making your money work for you. Where does the money come from in the first place, though? You must live below your means to have any money left to invest. If you’re already on top of your expenses, then the other way to do this is to increase your income. One surefire way to accomplish that is to intelligently invest your time in building a new skill.
When I was in school and got a bad grade on a test, my dad told me the most important thing was to understand what I got wrong. This was because he understood that knowledge, like interest, compounds. It builds upon itself at an individual and societal level. The sooner you start learning, and the more time you put into it, the faster your mastery of a subject will grow.
Choosing what you’ll spend a third of your waking hours doing to earn a living is daunting, especially at the age of 18. I recommend starting with your strengths, passions, and values – all of which come into greater focus as we get older, but are worth considering at any age.
Each of us may know our general strengths and weaknesses from homework, tests, or work we’ve performed, but it can be hard to be objective with this one. Think back to anytime you’ve had incredible success in life and try to separate causality from luck. Luck always plays a part, and we should put our efforts into the pieces we control. Outside of grades, praise, and pay, ask people in your life who will be honest with you what they think you’re good at.
What are you passionate about? Think about the times you enter a state of “flow,” where you lose track of all other thoughts, and time flies. If you arrive at an answer like playing a sport, guitar, or video games, be real with yourself about your potential to turn that into a living. It’s not impossible, but you have to either be one of the absolute best or very creative, turning your knowledge and passion for an activity into a product or service.
What are your values? Many people go into a vocation because they are talented and passionate about it, fully knowing they won’t have much earning power in their field. On the other side of the coin, if you are morally opposed to firearms, you would be setting yourself up for failure going to work for a gun manufacturer.
These three angles – strengths, passions, and values – may sound obvious, but I wish someone had made me actively think about my career in these terms when I was younger.
The truth is, there are many more factors to consider, such as what company you work for or if you start your own business, if you like building things or selling product, working with your hands or your mind, your personal risk tolerance, if you have a safety net, and so much more.
As technologies like AI improve, the employment landscape will change drastically. Demographics, politics, and other facets of our society will affect demand for products and services. Jumping on a trend can be powerful, but it’s hard to do.
I feel fortunate having gone into accounting because it’s a field that translates to any type of business. I can’t say debits and credits make me jump out of bed in the morning, but I’m good at it. I’m also passionate about the concept of business, two parties coming together of their own free will and walking away better off. And because I run my own business, I have the freedom to work with others who share my vibe.
Sometimes, work is work. But I think we should all strive for work that not only earns a living, but also gives purpose and a sense of accomplishment. Finally, don’t allow the amount of money you make dictate how you live. Decide how you want to live, then find a way to support it – with some left over to invest.
