How to invest in yourself and make your dreams come true

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

While others are racking their brains about where to invest their savings, we will talk about investments that will surely bring dividends. Invest in yourself and amazing things will happen to your life.

There are too many people around who live without direction. They finish school, get a job, and then go with the flow for 60–70 years. No, they also do not stand still: they acquire new skills when such an opportunity presents itself, go through difficulties, learn something new and gradually turn into the kind of people that life makes them.

Of course, such a life is interesting and unpredictable. The system and achievements are not everything.

For such people, following any plan can be disastrous. It's just that scheduling doesn't work for them, and that's okay.

But there are people of a different kind, like me, who need a system, need a plan, otherwise we just freeze in place. We are wrong. We are struggling with difficulties. We're losing direction. If you are one of those, this article is for you.

So, you will need:

• notepad or note-taking application;
• an application for creating tables (for example, a great service);
• search browser;
• calendar (paper version or attachment).

Step 1. Make a list of 100 goals

Decide where and why you want to go.

I have a list of 100 things that I am going to do in my life. This is not a to-do list that I would like to do, this is a to-do list that I will actually do.

It took me 3 hours to compile the entire list. It includes everything that I could remember from what I have to do and what I want to experience.

Here's a part of my list for clarity:

And there are many more points.

From now on, if I can cross out 4 points a year, then in 25 years I will finish the whole list. I will live a life that I can be proud of. I will live my life in a strict, well-defined direction.

Make a list. No need to copy mine, you can include anything in it. Ever wanted to create your own mobile app? Take part in skateboarding competitions? Buying your own ranch? Learning to bake a chocolate cake? List everything.

Divide all goals into 3 categories:

1. Purposes for which skills are required.
2. Goals I can tackle right now.
3. Goals that will take time.

Keep the list handy for the next two weeks. Add new points, cross out unnecessary ones, analyze. Start to hate him or love him even more. Just get used to the list and, if it really reflects what you want, start thinking through strategies in your head. Ask a loved one to read it and give you advice. When you have a list that you are happy with, move on to the next step.

The list motivates me and helps me move every day. By constantly rereading it, I can be sure that I am not missing anything.

Step 2. Create a skill sheet

The skill table will help you level up and track your progress.

If you want to achieve all of the goals on your list, then you will need to constantly improve. Some goals require mastery of specific skills. Go through the list again and note what skills you need for each item.

Be honest, don't be fooled. You must honestly answer the question of what skills you are lacking at the moment or what skills you have but are not well developed.

Collect all skills in one table. It doesn't matter what it looks like, so don't spend too much time decorating it.

Required skills	Study	Actions	Progress
1. …

»

In the “Actions” column, write down each step that will bring you closer to mastering a new skill. Look for courses, register on sites, take part in small projects, read books - do whatever it takes. Explore. The Explore and Action columns should grow side by side.

In the "Progress" column, rate how close or how far you are from completing each of these steps. Again, be extremely honest.

This chart is your guide to learning new skills. Review it every week. Decide what you will work on each week. Work. Track progress. Repeat. It's simple.

Step 3. Take Action Immediately

Ticking off a few items on your list will save you more passion for the future.

Moving on to the category of goals that you can achieve immediately. These are the things you can do right now. Nothing separates you from the goal, but for some reason you still haven't done it. Therefore, you need to make a plan.

Just grab a piece of paper or open a word processor and write down which of these immediate tasks you will complete by next month. Remember that these can be small tasks and do not require a lot of effort.

For example, my list included "start reading Wallace's Endless Joke" and "get a tattoo." There is nothing impossible in such cases.

Why is it necessary to start these matters without delay? Because they will serve as a great motivator for you.

When you can cross off multiple items at once from a long list, the whole project will become less intimidating for you.

Once you've identified a few tasks that you can accomplish immediately, set specific deadlines. Mark dates on the calendar and free up time for other purposes from your list.

Step 4. Goals that will take time

Decide which goals from the list will be worth your time.

In my case, it's writing a novel and hosting a podcast. Those goals for which I have the necessary skills and resources, but which I have not yet bothered to do.

If you don't finish any of these things while looking back at your life, you will feel an awful feeling. Because it was quite possible to fulfill them. They were within reach, just hold out your hand … but instead you were watching videos of cats.

It seems difficult to find the time. After all, so much happens in life, which is why it is so difficult to set aside even a day for something that does not bring immediate results.

But it is possible. If you stop feeling sorry for yourself, you will be able to find at least a little time every day for a useful cause, instead of procrastinating and doing something that is not really worth it.

A few weeks ago, I realized that before I shower, I spend 30-45 minutes on my iPhone browsing all kinds of nonsense. I decided to use this time to write a book. And now I work at least 30 minutes every morning on my book before starting the day. This is great.

The best way to determine where you are spending your time doing things that don't even give you any pleasure is to keep detailed records of what you do during the day. For a week, try writing down everything, every activity you do and the time you spent on it. See what is necessary and what time should be spent differently.

Do this check once a month. Decide on your habits. Notice if something is changing and analyze why it is happening. After all, your routine does not stand still.

No, you don't have to be at productivity heights 24 hours a day. For example, I watch Netflix, read comics and play Fallout. I'm talking about the fact that everyone does something meaningless, which has long become a habit, and you simply do not notice how you are wasting time. And if you don't stop in time, then nothing worthwhile will happen in life.

Finally

So, you have a basic list of 100 goals that you are going to achieve. You have four categories of cases. There is a table that will help you upgrade your skills. You understand how you are wasting your time. You have a calendar full of things to do right away.

And now is the time to move on to the most important part of this technique.

Include achieving your goals in your regular schedule. Start each morning by looking at your goal list. Read the skill sheet and note your progress. Check and cross your calendar. Keep track of how you spend your time.

When your list becomes an integral part of your daily routine, you won't miss a thing. Don't let your main goals in life fade into the background.

If you want to achieve something and complete what you started, the best way is to stop just daydreaming. Better to focus and view this technique as a project that will ultimately bear fruit. The project your work depends on. A project for the most important and unbearable boss you can meet - yourself.