The Greatest Investment in the World

It turns out that it doesn’t necessarily “take money to make money.” Some of the highest yielding investments you can make don’t require any money at all.

Investments in yourself–in your learning and in your experiences pay a higher financial return than any other investment you could make.

I’m taking my cue from one of America’s earliest philosopher/entrepreneurs, Ben Franklin: “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

A couple other philosopher/entrepreneurs I respect said similar things:

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said “You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things, the books you read and the people you meet.”

Jim Rohn said, “If you want change, you must change! You must work harder on yourself than you work on anything else. The greatest investment you will ever make is in yourself. Don’t invest in the stock market, if you haven’t first invested in yourself.”

Finally, one of the greatest stock market investors of our time, Warren Buffett said, “Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do. Anything that improves your own talents.”

If it’s good enough for those guys, it’s good enough for me.

Here are a handful of ways I’ve found to invest in myself:

Time. If you have time to sift through the tons of stuff out there, you can learn just about anything you can think of by searching the internet. Google it! Youtube it. Turn off the TV and learn something productive.

Books and audiobooks. For just a few dollars or a trip to the library you can read the best of what experts have to say on topics. Look up the three highest regarded books on a chosen topic by reading blogposts from people you respect or checking the online reviews of the books in question. Read the top three books and you’ll be on your way.

Magazines. There are still some great articles being written on certain topics. The other way to use magazines is for researching the influencers in your topic’s industry. Use the magazine to find out what events are coming up and who you should reach out to (network with) in the industry you’re interested in.

Podcasts. Listen to interviews on topics you want to learn. Subscribe to your favorite podcasts and they’ll be waiting on your favorite device for whenever you have a few minutes of downtime.

Online courses. You can learn as much as or more than you would sitting in a college classroom from the comfort of your couch.

Seminars and conferences on DVD or online. You’ll miss the networking and camaraderie that is part of attending live events. But you gain advantages of relaxing in your pj’s and having the option of pausing when you need to go pee. In addition, you can replay the parts you need to hear again as you apply what you’re learning.

Seminars. Live events like seminars, conferences, even trade shows can be extremely valuable. Stage speakers are usually excellent. You will often find like-minded people at live events. Don’t be afraid to talk with people. Many times the most value will come from side conversations. You may meet people you end up doing business with or becoming friends with.

Coaches/mentors. If you want to become top-notch at something, you probably need coaches/mentors. Professionals in all arenas of life use coaches to perform at the highest level.

College courses. I don’t necessarily recommend going for a four-year degree. It depends on the field you want to go into. Sometimes a degree is required. If not required, I believe college is often overrated. Check out the quality of classes and the professor that teaches. Often you can pick and choose specific courses that you want to learn without going for a degree.

Networking. Finding others that are working on similar projects as you can encourage you to keep going on a project. Reach out to people on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and MeetUp.com.

Experience. Volunteer your time to learn from someone who does what you want to do. Take a job somewhere for a couple of years to learn skills you’ll need. Don’t be discouraged if your project doesn’t yield the exact results you hoped for. Review, Learn and Pivot. You just learned something valuable to apply to your next project.

Experiences. Do you have a bucket list? I used to think this sort of thing was self-indulgent. I now see taking a trip with my dear wife as an investment, not an expense. Sometimes a trip you’ve always wanted to take can be rejuvenating. Even life-changing. Can you think of a better investment?

So there you have it. The greatest investment in the world is YOU. What other ways do you invest in yourself?