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How Do You Invest in Yourself? Non-Business Skills You Find Valuable

MTF

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Great thread, marked NOTABLE and FEATURED.

Cool, thanks!

Learn how to lose ( whether material stuff or a friendship/loved one)

I guess Stoicism can be called a skill, so we can expand learning how to lose to learning how to accept unfavorable circumstances.

Travel/foreign cultures.

Travel helps to break out of my daily routine. Once back home, I almost always have a refreshed mind and great new ideas.

There is a lot of wisdom in any culture built up over hundreds of generations... so yeah, a lot of value lies in learning from them.

Definitely. Particularly during a longer trip, you can't help but change thanks to the new stimuli.

Almost three years after starting this thread, I would add:
  • swimming - great not only for developing your body, but also your mind as swimming is generally not something that you can do distracted (unless you wear waterproof headphones which kind of defeats the purpose of swimming.) I also highly recommend open water swimming, which is more invigorating than swimming in a swimming pool.
  • surfing - I'm a newbie in this, but I don't think I've ever experienced anything else that humbles you more than the ocean. When you get pounded by waves, you realize how weak you are in the grand scheme of things. And maybe it's weird, but to me, it's an eye-opening experience that makes me a better, calmer and more understanding person. And of course, few things can compare to the fun of catching a great wave.
  • storytelling - we tell stories, simple and more elaborate, every day. What happened to you when you were stuck in traffic last Monday. How a certain thing changed your life. How you met someone. How your product can change the life of your client. All of this comes down to the ability to tell a captivating story. The better you are at it, the easier cultivating personal and business relationships is.
  • yoga - I find it incredible how everyone is obsessed about adding muscle, but so few are interested in achieving balance, mobility, and the ability to control muscle tension, all of which are IMO also crucial to fitness. After all, who cares that you can bench press 300 lbs if you can't sit comfortably in a full squat, keep your body straight when you stand, or balance on a single leg.
 
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NVious

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Physique, we are biologically hard wired to respect low body fat, muscles and definition.

Accessories, a nice watch, nice shoes, nice hats, nice chain, nice bracelets, i.e things you wear 24/7 as opposed to shirts and clothes you may wear a few times and that's it.

Curiosity, questioning and networking....asking people about themselves, being curious about them, offering help where you can, being a good person in general

Posture

Good haircuts

Also, these ones are MASSIVE, yes they can go under networking but they need to be EXPLICITLY SAID

GIVE COMPLIMENTS,
honestly you think most "high level" individuals in their field are used to it, but some of them are not and they will get taken back and smitten, but forget about high level people, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE SEVEN DEGREES OF SEPARATION, YET PEOPLE LIVE LIKE UNLESS THEY TALK TO WARREN BUFFET DIRECTLY THERE IS NO WAY TO GET TO HIM. Why do I say this? BECAUSE EVERYONE IS CONNECTED TO SOMEONE THAT MATTERS and if the person that is connected (not the person themselves) like you.....guess what happens? Exactly.

So BE GIVING THOSE COMPLIMENTS

Also simply put ask people to hang out and if they are important individuals offer to buy them dinner or a drink.
 

Matt Sun

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I could say many things...


The Wim Hof Method: Is amazing that just doing a few breath you can not be cold anymore even if you forgot your coat. Also liberates your respiratory system. Alkalinizes the body. Strenghten loungs. And has a meditation kind of effect.

Vegan recepies... Vegan diet in general is amazing for health IMO and backed by lots of scientific studys.

Edit: Also learning about medicinal plants. There is much stronger medicine growing wild in your back yard than in the pharmacy store. And it's also much safer than syntetics.
 
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Olimac21

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Also, these ones are MASSIVE, yes they can go under networking but they need to be EXPLICITLY SAID

GIVE COMPLIMENTS,
honestly you think most "high level" individuals in their field are used to it, but some of them are not and they will get taken back and smitten, but forget about high level people, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE SEVEN DEGREES OF SEPARATION, YET PEOPLE LIVE LIKE UNLESS THEY TALK TO WARREN BUFFET DIRECTLY THERE IS NO WAY TO GET TO HIM. Why do I say this? BECAUSE EVERYONE IS CONNECTED TO SOMEONE THAT MATTERS and if the person that is connected (not the person themselves) like you.....guess what happens? Exactly.

So BE GIVING THOSE COMPLIMENTS

Also simply put ask people to hang out and if they are important individuals offer to buy them dinner or a drink.
This is so simple yet powerful. I was talking the same thing with my dad about compliments and showing some affections when people deserve it.
 
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NVious

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This is so simple yet powerful. I was talking the same thing with my dad about compliments and showing some affections when people deserve it.

I actually started working with one of the youngest ifbb pros in europe by complimenting him i told him "you re too big bro, leave some size for the rest of us!" Then i asked him about his goals and rest is history. Compliments go A LONG way!!!
 

DiamondDog

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Seduction.

I've spent the last year improving my "game" with women. It didn't only help me get with women I thought were unattainable before but my social skills in general have progressed a lot (not that I was a complete dweeb before).

Nothing like walking into a room and being the most confident person in it. Always strong eye contact, good posture and confident speaking. Sh*t, I've come to realize that a lot of times it's not about what you say but how you say it.

Before anyone thinks that I gained confidence because I seduced women, let me tell that's not the case. I got confidence and THEN I got the women.
 
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Pat D. Rick

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From the top of my head, these are the things that come first to my mind:

Fitness/Nutrition
I plan on living a long and healthy life, so it is important I start now with the right lifestyle not in 50 years. I keep reading and learning about stuff that has the potential of making me a stronger and healthier person.
I also go to the gym and do a good mix of cardio and calisthenics. Never lifting weights though, can't see how that should be any better than my current programm.

Reading/Audiobooks

As for the non business books I like self-development books and yes, even good old novels. I enjoy listening to audiobooks that are NOT about business, but about adventures and heroes. It sparks my creativity as I'm following the audiobook and diving deeper into the story.

Science
For educational purpose of course. The things I'm most interested in are evolutionary biology, physics and behavioral psychology. It's important in my eyes to look behind the curtains and understand how things work and how they came to be.

People
With this I don't just mean becoming better with people-skills. I actually mean that I try to learn from everybody I'm talking to. There is quote that goes something like this "Every person you will ever meet, knows something that you don't know".
This is so true and so I always ask people about their life, passion, skills etc. When a topic comes up that I have no clue about, I start asking questions.
Somehow this could count as people-skill as well because people love to talk about themself. Most of the time I try to be the one that's listening not talking.
 

NVious

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Buying time.

Omg this one is MASSIVE, almost ALWAYS the person will feel indebted to you if you are a serious individual that comes prepared, has a good attitude and a bit of a sense of a humor and the relational capital will almost always exceed the $1-300 you spend for the hour.

I would say there is a sweet spot though


tumu+curve.JPG


Think the demand for someone like Mark Cuban isn't actually in line with the value he creates, not saying he is a "scam" or anything like that for charging 50k for the hour, but I'm just saying bang for the buck might be better for people that can basically do 85-95% of what he can for 1-5k.

Anyways, I don't think this is an issue, but I'm just throwing it out there as I like thought experiments.

Personal recent example, bought 1/2 an hour of poker coaching for $175 USD, did this person create that immediate value back? Depends....negative mindset would say "NO, HE BASICALLY TOLD YOU WHAT YOU KNOW" positive mindset would be "ok that means I STICK to the right path, he did answer a few specific questions that I had in very specific poker spots and he was a good dude" and in actuality he ended up pointing me to the right person to pitch for my poker course which could have an immediate ROI of 30,000% (original $175 investment) and lifetime value of the relational capital created could honestly be in the millions as in

1.He points me to the right person
2.Because I cite him to the right person that gives me social proof and authority
3.Person is more likely to comply with my ideas
4.Because of all of this I get a paid position with my poker course at this training site
5.They know I do quality work and they stake me for larger tournaments like the main event in Vegas for 10k as they know I'm a GODLY player who has a GODLY work ethic and is just in general a good dude that would help anyone out if he could


All From JUST $175......
 

NVious

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Accessories, i.e hats, bracelets, chains and a watch.

These items total may cost $500-1k, BUT THEY INVITE PEOPLE TO COMPLIMENT YOU (if someone is complimenting they are or WILL BE a high level individual, yes parasites can employ this strategy as well, but that's not really much of a thing and a bit of awareness and you avoid this), but they are GREAT conversation starters that you can then basically build a relationship with the person SOLELY BASED ON THESE INANIMATE OBJECTS WHEREAS OTHERWISE THEY MAY HAVE NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO YOU!!

KEEP IN MIND THEY ONLY NEED TO CREATE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY (LET'S JUST SAY 1K FOR SAKE OF EASE) FOR THEM TO BE WORTHWHILE INVESTMENTS AS A LIFETIME PROPOSITION!!!!!!!
 
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Charnell

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Off the wall, but auto detailing.

I first got into it back in 2013 when I was still in the military. Spent a few hours after work one day cleaning the Cadillac and made it shine!

Today it was mid 90s with the same amount of humidity, decided to make that 15 year old car look new again.

It's hard to describe the satisfaction and triumph you feel when you finally rub down that last bit of carnauba wax and smile at your sweaty reflection. Something about taking ownership and seeing the finished project in its completeness, after a few hours of elbow grease.

Too bad I'm off the booze wagon for a few weeks, because tonight would be the perfect night for a few beers to relax after that workout.
 

YoungPadawan

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I've been working on my nutrition by eating Paleo/keto and have been jumping rope to get into better shape.

I've also been learning how to dress better and have been purging my old wardrobe.
 

guy93777

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character , self reliance, self confidence and survival skills .


people skills are important but we never know how people will react in life.

the results are too random. i don't believe in people skills . i believe in systems


i believe that system thinking is key for interacting with people.


because no matter what people do, the odds that you will get what you want are high


fo example : the banking system , the insurance system.


quick explanation :


25440
 
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NVious

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Sorry for the triple post, was not my intention, just they all didn't come to mind at once, so it came out this way.

NOT thinking you are better than people, GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR PEOPLE YOU FEEL HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL EVEN IF YOU ARE "OBJECTIVELY ABOVE THEM." Yes ofc people can only be helped if they want to be and you may look like a bit of an a$$ at times, but I feel this gets taken to an extreme and if you are a legit person there is nothing wrong with putting yourself out there and "forcing" (obviously not actually forcing) help.

I'll give a personal example, recently some 15 year old Russian kid that is into reading SI books (Brian Tracy, Dale Carnegie, Richard Koch, Robert Kiyosaki) and fitness liked one of my posts, now he didn't follow me or anything, so I could easily go "cool" and just ignore it, but I saw that he has great potential so I liked a ton of his pictures, left comments and followed him first. I then sent him a message to encourage him to keep doing what he's doing and to tell him the importance of learning English for success.

Obviously this is going above and beyond and who knows maybe he stops one day or something. BUT, it is important along the business, entrepreneur and self improvement journey not to become TOO jaded about people which is very, very VERY easy and to actually FORCE yourself to go above and beyond in the way you would when you were starting out so as to mimic the beginners mind.


This doesn't necessarily have to do with business, many people here have plenty of other skills, i.e the guy with the auto waxing (just an example, nothing meant by it other than proximity means it's an easy example for me to go on) could go on craiglist or kijiji or a car forum and offer it free to someone or free to teach them, NO expectations, they could be shitty people, they could be time wasters and they could even be parasites, but sometimes we need to go above and beyond and just give with NOTHING in return.

Pick up trash on the street
Give money to homeless
Ask people how their day is going, ask people if you can help them with anything, ask people about their goals
EXPECT NOTHING when you do this, just humble yourself and approach life as a beginner

Challenge yourself to do this once a week, I don't care what level you are (most of you are at least close to intermediate), do it, offer something free and expect nothing in return. Hell do it through Craiglist , Kijiji, a forum, to one of your friends, give something of yours away etc etc.
 

Ubu_roi

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A lot of the things that were said before are great, and I totally agree with many of them!

The one thing that wasn't mentioned before, and helped me a ton is acting (as in theatre acting).

It directly and immediately helps with speaking in public, using the right tone of voice, being aware of your body and your expressions.

It's a "safe ground", where you can make huge mistakes, with (almost) no consequences at all. It's all a game after all, like a small piece of life.

After some time, it also helps you understand people better, and makes you ask questions about yourself. You sometimes reach your limits, and you're ALWAYS, always very uncomfortable. Which also helps ;-)
 

happiness2go

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character , self reliance, self confidence and survival skills .


people skills are important but we never know how people will react in life.

the results are too random. i don't believe in people skills . i believe in systems


i believe that system thinking is key for interacting with people.


because no matter what people do, the odds that you will get what you want are high


fo example : the banking system , the insurance system.


quick explanation :


View attachment 25440

Excellent point! Systems thinking is an amazing thought-tool that I had somewhat forgotten about. Thanks for the reminder !

For anyone who is interested in starting to learn about systems thinking - Peter Sange's book "The fifth discpipline" is the best starting point IMO.

Some other skills that just came to my mind:

Creative thinking:
Tools that help with idea creation (mind mapping, Six Thinking Hats, design thinking etc.)

Tony Buzan and Edward de Bono are among my favorite thinkers here.

Memory palace / method of ioci:
The skill that the worldchampions in memorization have mastered. Interesting tool to memorize insane amounts of information.

Emotional intelligence:
The ability to manage your own internal state - certainly an important skill to develop.

Intercultural communication:
In a globalized economy, the ability to communicate with someome from a different culture is becoming more and more crucial.
 
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NVious

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Taking notes:

Got a good idea?

WRITE IT DOWN

Shoot for 10 a day James Altucher style, but even 1 a day will have you KILLING IT COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE PERSON BY THE END OF A FEW MONTHS EVEN!!!!

//////

Phone sleeve
for warm showers, not so you can browse IG, but so you can take notes as most good ideas come to us in the shower due to it's relaxing nature

/////

Going through your notes at the end of the week
 

uroz

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Haven't seen it mentioned a lot but I think we should put more notice on simple fixing stuff, working with various tools(hand tools, power tools), building stuff. My GFs father is oldschool, that dude can build anything you imagine a single person can, its amazing to see his methods compared to my primitive stuff. I mostly build EASY stuff with wood, but always wanted to try some welding.

Just starting to build my own workbench since I had no place to work on my stuff.
 

NVious

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Humble activities:

Japanese Samurais used to meditate on being killed.

I believe we too must learn to be humble.

One thing I do is pick up garbage I see on the ground, it's futile and I don't do much (a few per day), but it keeps me humble and reminds me:

1.I am NOT bigger than my environment

2.I too one day will be discarded (dead) like the trash

3.In a way it lets me feel extremely alive and happy as it is a positive thing
 
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PlateauCoach

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the most important capacity I train daily is
accessing source (gain a receptive mode of the mind on demand)

then:
journaling at 6th sense level, 4th derivative (receiving set of the mind with targeted trigger towards specific self)

inventing and building reframing tools for the mind (premium clients, own business)

teaching and how to simplify teaching into a usable way

drawing (because my explanations and skills to contemplate on ideas for myself increases with my sketching qualities)

understanding, how other people contemplate and constitute thinking in depth (with mastermind, own mentors)

learning to learn and to separate which is to delegate to let learn another person for me or just hire the person who already learned it (OPR)

unlearning techniques (as a capacity to stop autopilot parts instead of replacing with other habits)

understanding of failures (evaluation, re-evaluation, tracking of shifts) and resistance

innovating processdesigns and reframe model patterns (e.g. the holy company culture)

capacity to understand new words in context (engl. isn't my mother tongue) without translating word by word

yoga (because of the teachings of ancient school of thought and calmness of mind meditation praxis - not because of the physical exercises)

speedreading (only seminars, books didn't work to implement for me)

Toastmasters (gave me the ability to do it "for the audience" and changed my whole view on how to give speeches and to communicate teachings or ideas to different plateaus of understanding)

Stratagems (negotiations/Sales, especially with asian partners) many people see that negative, but you can sculpt great win-wins with that because you can increase the opportunity layer of a contract for both sides

running, workout (health) - I use a coach for that area too

know thyself from different approaches (minimum once a year feedback circles from different people, re-evaluation of purpose and goalcircles)

(could have grouped many of them in consulting - but I would pay thousands today if I had the chance to get to know and be teached earlier in every single one)
 
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One skill that hasn't been listed but may have been implied in various posts above is emotional intelligence.

Understand motivation, body language, tone of voice, diplomacy, tact, empathy and everything else related to emotional intelligence and you will become inimitable.
 

The WolfPreneur

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Out of all the investments you can make, there's only one investment that will stay with you forever: investing in yourself.

What non-business skills do you find valuable in your everyday life? What would you like to learn/are learning because you believe it will always be a valuable skill to have?

Here are some of the skills I've developed, am working on or would like to learn (in no particular order):
  • foreign languages - it's always useful to know at least one foreign language. I'd say that the most useful languages internationally today (after English) are Spanish, French, and possibly Mandarin Chinese, and to a smaller extent (depending on where you live and what you do), German, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Arabic. If you're proficient in a foreign language, in the worst case you can always become a language instructor.
  • basic fitness knowledge - what to eat, what not to eat, how to perform basic exercises at the gym, etc. I don't think I need to explain why.
  • tennis or golf - according to this research 38% of the wealthy play tennis at least once a week. Golf is first with 51% of the rich playing it, but I prefer tennis. I think it's useful to know how to play tennis or golf because it gives you easier access to wealthy people or just provides a cool way to spend time together. Being good at some sports in general is also valuable because in the worst case you can always become a coach.
  • some kind of self-defense (krav maga for me) - no matter where you live, it's always a good idea to know how to defend yourself. Americans would probably add shooting skills here as well.
  • first aid/emergency first response - these skills save lives. Enough said.
  • growing food - even if it's just some vegetables or fruit trees in your backyard, it's good to know the basics of how to produce food.
  • some basic survival skills - not because the world is about to end, but just to know what to do in case of a natural disaster or when you get lost in the woods.
  • rock climbing - improves balance, teaches you how to move in an efficient way, strengthens your entire body. It's useful when hiking or in general climbing anything (including a ladder haha).
  • cooking skills - personally I've always found it elusive. I can cook basic stuff, but nothing sophisticated. It would be very useful to know how to cook a meal you could get in a good restaurant.
  • public speaking - even just the basics are extremely valuable to get the attention of a group of people.
  • basic psychology and people skills - it's the single most important thing you can do to improve your relationships and bring a LOT of value into your social life (simple empathy is extremely powerful).
  • writing skills - we spend so much time on the Internet today writing all kinds of things that it's extremely valuable to know how to express yourself clearly.
I'm curious how you guys invest in yourself or which skills in general you have or want to develop.

Learning about psychology & marketing everyday- because I love it

Meditating- because it helps you to balance emotion, enhances your thinking skill

Getting 1% uncomfortable everyday- because it increases my growth

Becoming 1% better entrepreneur everyday- because that's who I am
 
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maras2137

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I'm change all my life by the one year by investing to myself. I have been read 25 books about realtions, bussness, selling, psychology and etc. From drug addicted, closed to myself, nearly dead guy with girlfriend with borderline am... Oh, still drug addicted but one year clean, not by comercial healing, but my own way, work better! I have miliona worth books material about this, but let the market check first. This might be good thing but with manny "by the way faults" like shitty marketing. Girl with borderline F*cked outta - hard shit, she's like magnes but i won. Get the F*ck out about shit on head and toxic peoples! It's hard i know, i know, but with the expirience you van this automatic. Life is much better with this skill. The court after this still tring to close me on the jail. I beat a 2 Police officer's plus two civilians after drugs. Bad thing, but this nearly dead situation teach me a lot about what realy matters in life, and that's thing... you know after this shit called alfa pvp, manny guys dead, some 18 Years boy on my hospital bed, dead before i came. I have something to do. In other way, God left me with this boy, and today i could didn't even wake up from bed.
 

Eurojanek

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I went thru all the University psychology books to learn a bit how humans minds, different personalities work.

Then psychopathology, so I can spot and avoid all them psycho/sociopaths and them alike. I've met some in my life prior to and it wasn't pleasant.

I digged thru the whole world of MGTOW (men going their own way) stuff. So I sorted out my relationship to women once for all. You can take it three way: either you learn how they work and will have nothing much to do with them. Or you'll take this knowledge and become the uber alphamale women seducer. Or just take a notice, adjust your life accordingly and move on which I choose to do.

Also of course a few languages, living in different european countries which is great for broadening your perespective.

Sports cycling, freediving, sailing and many more , playing musical instruments, graphic design, woodworking.
 

Andy Black

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Funny seeing this thread resurface and reading my replies. I said i was mid 40s and reasonably fit. Now im 51 and reasonably unfit. I'm currently doing no exercise, which isn't good.

I'll have to get back jogging and to the gym. I dropped kick-boxing when they introduced throws and sweeps. I liked hitting pads but didn't like kicking someone's standing leg from under them.
 
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FastlaneJonah

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A few might have been mentioned before, but I'd say that the following are
hugely beneficial to any individual looking to live life 'better'. Quotation marks
due to people having different interpretations of better though my interpretation
is that this enhances the quality of your life.


  1. Exercising
  2. Eating healthy
  3. Meditation
  4. Journalling
  5. Reading
  6. Learning a new language.
  7. Martial arts
  8. People skills
These are the first things that come to mind. While most of them are habits you could implement
I'll continue by explaining why I think they add massive value and by giving examples as to how you can invest in them.

Exercising
Exercising is really good for your body, you can practice a sport, go to the gym, start running, etc. The choices are limitless. You should pick what you enjoy so you can do it consistently. I also make a distinction between cardiovascular sports and sports which focus on improving your muscles; I do both. For me, sports have made me healthier, have allowed me to regulate my weight more, and feel more focused after working out and more energetic.
How to invest? - Buy a gym membership, join a local sports club, buy sports clothing, buy gear that allows you to exercise, and buy books about fitness. If you make this habit a social one, you could also meet interesting people.

Eating healthy
Improving your diet is healthy for your body and also hugely beneficial to your energy levels and focus throughout the day. Diet can even have an impact on your mental health. Definitely important to learn.
How to invest? - Replace junk food with healthy food. Buy books about diet, and study them for a bit. Buy containers for meal preparation. If you're already wealthy; buy a personal cook.

Meditation
For me the fact that this term sounds so spiritual is what prevented me from doing it for a long time.
But I value meditation now, I personally focus on my breathing whilst doing it. But I can see many benefits. I feel as if my emotions are more regulated as if I can focus more and more calmly.
How to invest? - Just like eating healthy, this can be free. But if you want to increase the speed of the learning curve you could buy books or courses about meditation.

Journalling
At first I didn't do it because I felt as if I was a high school girl. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Journalling is really valuable as it allows you to reflect on your daily life and emotional well-being. It also helps tremendously with regulating your emotions and understanding yourself better so that you become more calm, collected and in control of your emotions.
How to invest? - Prices of investment can vary drastically depending on the price of the journal (simple notebook or an expensive-looking one) and if you need guidance (such as courses, books etc) to get you started.

Reading
Enhances focus, improves your (passive) knowledge, and can also alter the lens through which you view the world. I'd say this one is hugely beneficial. There are books about literally any topic out there and the earlier start the more you will passively know. I call it passive knowledge as you also have to put knowledge into practice if you want to actually master the knowledge which you have learned.
How to invest? - Books, ebooks, audiobooks, perhaps a tablet or e-reader.

Learning a new language.
This can enhance your memory and also drastically alter the lens through which you view the word.
It also allows you to connect to much more people than before. Perhaps you are interested in a partner from a specific country? Perhaps you have always wanted to travel to a country and to speak with locals? Perhaps you want to do business in a specific country? Whatever your reason is, I will have to add that the only way to really learn a language is with motivation or a good reason to learn it. (Trust me, I tried many languages).
How to invest? - Depends entirely on how fast you want to learn it. You can buy courses, and books, learn for free on YouTube, buy time with talented teachers, etc.

Martial arts
Struggle with confidence? Afraid to be alone somewhere? This is where martial arts can help you. Martial arts can teach you how to defend yourself which brings confidence. It is also exercising (two birds with one stone). It also humbles you, knowing that there is almost always somewhere out there with more knowledge or/and skills than you.
How to invest? - Join a local club and pick a sport you enjoy.

People skills
As a human, you always have to deal with other humans. What better investment than learning how to navigate your relationships, how to deal with tough situations, how to handle difficult conversations etc? This one is really broad and hugely beneficial.
How to invest? - Reflect for a moment and think about what area you struggle with. Are you a bad communicator? Are you perhaps a bit too selfish? or are you perhaps to selfless which means that people walk all over you? Take a look and purchase books or buy courses/coaching with regard to your chosen topic.

I hope this list adds value and that its useful for anyone who wants to invest in themselves.
If you've got any questions, be sure to let me know.
 

MartenX86

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Out of all the investments you can make, there's only one investment that will stay with you forever: investing in yourself.

What non-business skills do you find valuable in your everyday life? What would you like to learn/are learning because you believe it will always be a valuable skill to have?

Here are some of the skills I've developed, am working on or would like to learn (in no particular order):
  • foreign languages - it's always useful to know at least one foreign language. I'd say that the most useful languages internationally today (after English) are Spanish, French, and possibly Mandarin Chinese, and to a smaller extent (depending on where you live and what you do), German, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Arabic. If you're proficient in a foreign language, in the worst case you can always become a language instructor.
  • basic fitness knowledge - what to eat, what not to eat, how to perform basic exercises at the gym, etc. I don't think I need to explain why.
  • tennis or golf - according to this research 38% of the wealthy play tennis at least once a week. Golf is first with 51% of the rich playing it, but I prefer tennis. I think it's useful to know how to play tennis or golf because it gives you easier access to wealthy people or just provides a cool way to spend time together. Being good at some sports in general is also valuable because in the worst case you can always become a coach.
  • some kind of self-defense (krav maga for me) - no matter where you live, it's always a good idea to know how to defend yourself. Americans would probably add shooting skills here as well.
  • first aid/emergency first response - these skills save lives. Enough said.
  • growing food - even if it's just some vegetables or fruit trees in your backyard, it's good to know the basics of how to produce food.
  • some basic survival skills - not because the world is about to end, but just to know what to do in case of a natural disaster or when you get lost in the woods.
  • rock climbing - improves balance, teaches you how to move in an efficient way, strengthens your entire body. It's useful when hiking or in general climbing anything (including a ladder haha).
  • cooking skills - personally I've always found it elusive. I can cook basic stuff, but nothing sophisticated. It would be very useful to know how to cook a meal you could get in a good restaurant.
  • public speaking - even just the basics are extremely valuable to get the attention of a group of people.
  • basic psychology and people skills - it's the single most important thing you can do to improve your relationships and bring a LOT of value into your social life (simple empathy is extremely powerful).
  • writing skills - we spend so much time on the Internet today writing all kinds of things that it's extremely valuable to know how to express yourself clearly.
I'm curious how you guys invest in yourself or which skills in general you have or want to develop.
I find the basic people skills to be extremely valuable in not only private relationships but also almost every aspect of life. Being able to understand what a person wants through, for example, simple knowledge of body language helps tremendously with providing value to them.
 

Red.P-901

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Aug 30, 2022
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Nutrition
I believe eating healthy is one of the single most important investments you can make in yourself. You can work for hours on end and only get 6 hours of sleep per night but if your're eating cheetos and drinking soda all day, you're going to notice a decline in your mood, health, and just overall mental state.Plus, following a good, consistent diet is very easy and cheap to do.
Do you have any suggestions for getting started? Do you have to know how to cook well ?
 
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