The most overlooked investment in history is ourselves. We tend to base such a heavy weight of our results on our circumstances—whether that be the stock market or the pandemic. Those that choose to adapt and grow from undesirable situations have a better chance of succeeding in the long run.
What does it mean to invest in yourself?
First, it starts with building our own sense of worth and confidence. Feeding the belief that we can achieve great things with our own capabilities, enables us to push through the fear of starting something that will benefit our future selves.
Unprecedented situations like the pandemic have only expedited the reflection process for many of those who were stuck at jobs they weren’t necessarily passionate about. Now faced with a major disruption, many had to pivot to think of a more sustainable solution to their survival problem. Many flocked to the idea of entrepreneurship for more control and the freedom that they found their jobs lacking.
Out of every bad scenario, there are everyday heroes and heroines that remind us just how important it is to look ahead, trust ourselves and that with a positive mindset, it is possible to rebuild our lives.
Developing a Resilient Mindset
Like the 95% of Irish small business owners affected by the pandemic, Laura Hutchinson, a previous fitness instructor, was at risk of losing everything—from her business to her home and car. However, instead of wallowing in despair, she quickly took up a job at a warehouse company. By remaining positive, she lifted herself out of financial distress and tried to collaborate with her co-workers to make the workspace fun and engaging.
Soon after she invested the little money she had at the time on a crucial personal development tool— The Million Dollar Mentor, ran by Kim Constable, also known as The Sculpted Vegan. The mindset training enabled Hutchinson to completely change careers in a span of a year. Today, she manages over 40,000 of Constable’s community members as the head trainer to her famous fitness programs.
Use Setbacks as an Opportunity to Explore Different Routes
Entrepreneurs that find themselves at a crossroads, should not take a close on one door, as a final cut-off to all their dreams and ambitions. Setbacks, big or small, can allow us to reflect on the parts of our infrastructure that can be adapted to better weather future changes. For example, for many businesses, this meant moving to the online domain. Adapting to this model now enables companies traditionally suited only to physical conditions, to survive in the online domain for the long run.
For people that have been in the same jobs, it can be a time to reflect on whether they’re truly striving or passionate about their roles. For many, being able to make money during lockdowns became a motivating factor to start their own business.
As someone who had always dreamt of, but was too nervous to work online, the pandemic forced Hutchinson to learn how to navigate the digital environment as a coach.
Because she maintained a firm spirit to learning new skills and had her mindset on creating this new path for herself—she was able to successfully shift to working online 100%.
When Preparation Meets Opportunity, You’re Closer to Success
When we are mentally primed to achieve specific goals, we end up gaining the types of skills and the mindset that allows us to dive into an opportunity when it presents itself. You wouldn’t go to a math test unprepared; the same thing applies to entrepreneurship.
You must develop the confidence to proceed through failures. This requires stepping out of our comfort zones in order to truly master certain skills, even when results don’t show up right away. Over time, you will naturally gravitate towards opportunities that align with your goals and attract people that can help you succeed. You don’t always have to do it on your own; you can leverage the knowledge and expertise of people that have the type of success you desire to have. You can create teams that help you fulfill the gaps you need to run a successful business.
When Laura invested in a personal development tool to help her restart her career, she did not anticipate she would get an offer from Kim Constable herself, to work for the company as a head trainer and influencer. Laura had readily applied herself to learn the strategies behind scaling an online business, as well as demonstrated her growing confidence through her Instagram stories. She was mentally priming herself to take on her dream role.
Today, Laura went from jobless to completely revamping her career in her ideal niche. She also gets to be a part of the team that helps women achieve the same types of goals in fitness and entrepreneurship.
Conclusion
Although not everybody’s first instinct is to start a business, anyone can benefit from investing in themselves consistently and early on. Adopting a growth mindset and constantly being out the lookout to grow new skills, improve them or branch out into different domains can come in handy when our number one choice doesn’t always work out. As long as you’re willing to adapt and not give up when challenges occur, you are well inching your way closer to a successful outcome.