Most of us want to make progress in life, have good lifestyle, make good money and enjoy the life with family. Many times we ponder if we should start this venture or we should go with that strategy to make money and lead a better life. Our constant struggle to make progress in life makes us myopic and we lose our capacity to think beyond the short term gains.

We wouldn't spend $20 on a book that teaches us to be a better sales person and we would readily shell out $5 for a coffee. We would pass on a seminar that can show the tricks of the market but we would not pass on dining out and enjoy good costly food. How many times you have spent money on books, audio, video, seminar, conferences etc. that provides you with information to achieve what you want to do in life? Compare that to how many times you have spent on your dinner, coffee, fashion etc. We tend to spend on ourselves rather than invest in yourselves.

Investing in yourself is the best gift you can give to yourself. It enlightens us with the knowledge that others have amassed through their experiences and going through situations which might never come in front of us, the knowledge that might always elude us.

My wife and I have always wanted to open a restaurant. We would hear success stories here and there but we never knew the facts behind opening a restaurants. My wife found a one day session in Petaluma on what it takes to open a restaurant. We attended that with full enthusiasm and at the end of the session we had so much knowledge and information about this business that it was near impossible to learn them on our own. We invested and we got the benefits. We haven't yet opened our restaurants but that's a different thing. The point is that we must not find excuses not to invest in ourselves.

Go read that book on opening your own culinary academy. Attend that seminar where they teach you the skills to be the best sales person. Join the class that teaches you to be the next web designer. Attend the conference and know more about what other similar minded and experienced people have to say about things you are interested in. Read that book on the next stock investment strategy. It might be not something you trust but you will learn what works for others.

As kids we invest in ourselves by going to school and college. But the moment we reach our adulthood we stop investing in ourselves. This is the biggest loss that happens when we grow up. We lose the tendency to learn new things and learn from the experienced. We wish to hone our skills but we hope that it will happen on its own someday.

Nothing happens on its own. Work towards your goal. Learn new ideas, concepts and strategies.

Learn to invest in yourself. You would never repent it.