Everything you want starts with you, but it doesn’t…
Wear your own shoes. Live your own unique life. Invest in yourself. Unlock a personal journey to self-discovery.
Investing in yourself gives you a leg up in attaining what you want. From a new sports car to a date with the girl next door, self-discovery wins every time.
But the problem is, if we stick to only what we want, we won’t get it. If we shift the focus to others, and on becoming a better person to other people, our investment is returned tenfold.
But how do you start?
The answer might seem to go round in circles… Invest in yourself so you can give back more, but don’t be selfish. Give back to others. But don’t forget about yourself! Put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others…
Ahh! ?
It’s confusing at the best of times and paradoxical at the worst.
Ground yourself with the following thoughts:
- Only you can control your response to a situation
- Your thoughts and focus determine your reality
- It starts with you and how you decide to act
- Each day is a fresh start to get a bit better
Self-discovery teaches to invest in yourself first before trying to gain something from the outside world. Working on you first gives you access to better relationships, more money, and a glimpse into your life purpose.
Gaining self-awareness gives you hope of success, happiness, and fulfillment.
“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” — J.K. Rowling
In this post you’ll learn:
- The power of self-discovery and investing in yourself to form better and longer lasting relationships
- Why self-discovery is important for choosing a career/job/business
- Insights into how purpose grows out of identity
- Tips to invest in yourself
- How to gain and keep momentum with self-discovery
Are you ready to spend the time and energy to invest in yourself SO THAT you can give back to others?
Let’s dive in and get started. ?
Relationships Start with You
I’m not a relationship expert, nor will I ever be the life of the party. But people who get to know me seem to like me. At least a bit.
This wasn’t always the case.
Back before my lovely wife Miranda came into the picture, my college girlfriend was breaking up with me.
To say I was head over heels infatuated would be an understatement. I was deeply in love and planning my life around our future together. She had other plans. I’m glad she did.
Phrases like “I’m not the same when I’m around you, my friends don’t like you all that much, and God’s leading me away from you,” were like a steaming iron rod jabbing into my heart.
I’ve been up front in my other writings that I wasn’t my favorite person in my college years. If I had to hang out with myself back then I would have been bored, uninspired, and ready to go hang out with someone else.
It’s no wonder my girlfriend broke up with me, but it was one of the best things that ever happened to me despite the pain, heartache, and utter rejection I felt.
This period, along with other important milestones in my life, were glimpses into what I didn’t see about myself. It might hurt to have others bring us down, but we are often blind to our own faults, however honest we might think we are being with ourselves.
I tell this story to share the importance of investing in yourself in positive ways. If I had spent less timing playing Halo, eating pizza, and skipping classes, I would have had more time for quiet reflection, seeking advice from mentors, reading, etc.
If you have issues with relationships, or always seem to be on the wrong end of a breakup, fight, or rejection, ask yourself the tough questions:
“What am I doing to cause this?” “What’s my role in this story?”
If we start with ourselves and focus on personal growth, we attract quality people, exceptional career opportunities, and the daily grind feels much less grindy.
Stop blaming your situation on outside circumstances or other people and instead look within. We ALL have faults we can overcome.
What’s something you need to work on today?
Invest in Yourself: Land Your Dream Job… Maybe
The statement I hear most from people in all different walks of life, “I have no idea what I want to do with my life.”
If you have no idea (you probably have some idea, even if you say this out loud) the best place to start is with you and what you like to do.
Finding work you love is possible. It might take some time (and maybe even some crappy jobs along the way) but people just like you are spending their days giving back in meaningful and wallet-filling ways.
I’m a big fan of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) for discovering personality and learning more about yourself. The MBTI does an excellent job of giving you insight into what you are naturally positioned to do with your life.
I’ve written up a series of blog posts for each type here. Find your type (or take the test if you don’t already know) and get started with figuring out the best careers, side hustles, and hobbies for you.
Again, start by investing in yourself and learning what you need to do to become a better person.
What does your personality type struggle with? What are some things you specifically need to work on so that on your next job interview you land your dream job?
Maybe you want to start your own business and launch into entrepreneurship?
There isn’t anything to hide behind when you go off on your own, which is both scary and exciting. Either your idea works and you gain momentum, or it doesn’t and you have to start from scratch.
Entrepreneurship is freeing and unforgiving. It doesn’t wait for anyone. But in my humble opinion, it’s the best way to go. The age of jobs is ending. Entrepreneurship is the way of the future. Start with investing in yourself and then branch out to see what you alone can offer.
Identity, Life Purpose, and the Law of Investing in Yourself
Life purpose is an enormous question and a nebulous concept. Isn’t it enough to just be happy, have a family, grow old, and pass on wisdom to the next generation?
No, it isn’t enough.
Sure, you can be like 99.99% of people out there who do nothing with their lives, grow old and grumpy, and die full of regrets. This is an option for you, but if you’ve read this far, I bet it isn’t your first choice.
Nope.
You’re an action taker, a truth seeker, and have a powerful desire to see change, not only in yourself, but in the world.
Am I right?
Life purpose starts with who you are. You have a unique capacity for changing the world. I can’t tell you what that might be, but I know it’s there.
Author, psychologist, and concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl said:
“For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment.”
What is your unique calling?
For Frankl it was foremost survival at the camp to tell his story. He then helped others discover meaning and purpose in their lives. This was the meaning of his life.
I’d like to think my meaning resonates with Frankl’s in that I hope to lead others toward self-discovery, purpose, and adroit action.
Invest in your own growth by asking these important questions, taking personality tests, reading, and asking others for feedback.
We’ll go over these ideas and a few more below.
How to Invest in Yourself
Ready to invest in yourself? Are you eager to get started, but nervous about being selfish or too focused on you?
I give you permission to take time for yourself.
Maybe that means nothing to you, or maybe no one’s ever said that to you before, but I’ll say it again.
You have my permission (and no doubt, the permission of anyone you might ask) to take time for you. Take the time to invest in yourself, determine your dreams, develop positive habits, and catalyze your destiny.
If you aren’t sure where to start, here’s what I recommend:
- Start with these ten easy ways to get to know yourself better.
- Ask friends and family what you are good at. Other people often know better than we do what our skills and strengths are.
- Schedule time for positive self-discovery and growth habits like reading, walking, and meditating.
- Set goals at all levels. Set SAGS (small attainable goals) BHAGS (Big hairy audacious goals) and Destiny Goals (universe changing goals).
- Create. Take up pottery, paint, craft, write, sing, dance, hike, take a class, brainstorm, cook, do something you’ve never done.
- Forgive yourself. Don’t beat yourself up. Be your own best friend. Love yourself.
- Here are 26 ideas to invest in yourself.
Above all, treat yourself with respect and decency. We have the tendency to be harder on ourselves than other people. This varies from person to person, but investing in yourself means turning off the part of you that says “I’m not good enough.”
Don’t believe the lie that you aren’t worth it. Remember, the world needs YOU. There is only one of you, so don’t give up. Instead, become the author of your destiny by making time to get to know yourself.
How to Win with Self-Discovery
As your self awareness grows and you see personal and professional growth, you’ll finally embrace the power of momentum.
I urge you; hold onto it! Keep the fire lit and keep moving forward. Make every day count and keep working at it until the lightbulb finally turns on and things fall into place.
There’s no secret sauce to winning with personal discovery. If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Your journey is different from mine. What works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. We each have our own unique experiences that lead us to our destinies.
And yet, one thing I know to be true beyond any doubt…
The most important asset successful people have in common…
The ability to be relentless in pursuit of a goal.
There is no such thing as an overnight success. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Your win, my win, the world’s win, is out there, waiting for people just like you to decide to never give up, to keep fighting with everything you’re worth.
Will you join me in reaching destiny?
Good, I thought so.
-Jordan
PS: Get Your Free Self Discovery Guide Below!
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