Benefits of Investing in Yourself Early in Your Career

Investing in yourself isn’t selfish; it’s actually a contribution to the world. Mic drop.

But I didn’t get this memo until my early 40s.

I remember when I was a broke grad student in my 20s, I felt guilty about spending $10 to go to the movies with friends on a Friday night when I knew people in my own neighborhood were going hungry.

I now realize I also need to “fill my own cup” regularly to be able to make the positive difference I’m here to make, without burning out.

Looking back, one thing I would tell my career-obsessed 25-year old self would be to make sure to incorporate personal development into my career development.

So what is “personal development”? And what do I mean by “investing in yourself”?

Personal development can be defined in many ways, but for our purposes, let’s cut to the chase and say it’s… Wait for it… Doing more of what makes you happy!

Specifically, personal development is an intentional continuous process of growing into the best version of YOU– mentally, physically, socially, financially, and more.

As they say, if you're not growing, you’re dying.

How do you intend to grow this year? And what are you willing to do differently? This last piece– taking action– is what “investing in yourself” looks like in the real world. When you take action, you are literally making an investment– of your time, money, and energy– ideally, for a positive return.

Personal development is the outcome of the actions you take.

You might be asking yourself at this point, “How do I want to grow?” “What am I willing to try to become the best version of me?”

Examples of investing in yourself might include learning a new skill, taking a course, reading a book, eating healthy foods, meeting new people, volunteering, and traveling, to name just a few. (If you want additional examples from my life, please message me– happy to share my extensive list!)

The idea is to take calculated risks in the direction of your goals and dreams – expanding what you believe to be possible. To view yourself as a proactive agent of change vs. a passive victim of circumstances. To believe life is happening FOR you, not TO you.

Developing this mindset early in your career will undoubtedly set you apart and prove invaluable in every aspect of your life.

Life is predictably unpredictable. The only certainty is uncertainty itself. There is so much we cannot control, why not focus where we do have control– investing in ourselves to fulfill our true potential?

Let me leave you with a few more questions to ponder: What are you creating in 2025? What are you excited about? What are you looking forward to?

I strongly suggest you put activities in your calendar that inspire you so you get to live into a future that calls to you, no matter the headlines. In fact, I believe we will collectively transform the headlines– one intentional action at a time toward our goals and dreams.

To Your Success!

Amy

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about how we help young professionals achieve their goals, check out our Services for Young Professionals.