If you are looking for a post about how to make money while you sleep, then I say “es mi culpa.”  But, I didn’t really mislead you with the title.  I just interpret it differently.

What makes you special?

Really think about that question.  As hectic as our work schedules and our lives are, I will argue that everyone has a little time to spare.  This spare time is the time to invest in… yourself.  The returns on this kind of investment can be life-altering.

Did you know that there are people out there learning another language on their 90 minute daily commute using language programs on their CD players in their cars?  There are people going to school online AFTER they get home from work to get degrees and various licenses (real estate, broker, series 6, etc).  There are also people networking well into the midnight hours to build their networks on sites like LinkedIn or one of these others.  There are even people whose mantra is “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.  If you work hard at your job, you can make a living. But if you work hard on yourself, you can make a fortune.” Are you one of these people?

Why not?

Huge dividends

In a hypercompetitive job market, what extra skills do you bring to the table?  To a hiring manager, someone who invested in themselves and spent time wisely to amass more skill sets is way more attractive than someone who did not.  You would need to have a very nice smile to even compete.

So again I ask, why not?

Everyone can and should invest

You just have to learn to use your free time wisely.  Instead of seeing DVR or TiVo as invaluable technological conveniences, ask yourself if there is something else you can be doing with your time to get yourself closer to your personal or financial goals.

We do not suggest that you give up every second of your life (far from it), but for me, personally, knowing that I am working towards a goal gets me really excited because I see the return on my investment drawing closer and closer.

Now those without goals…

If you have no goals in life and are truly content with your current state of existence, then you won’t have to worry one bit about investing in yourself, or returns on investments, or impressing future employers.

But do keep in mind that one trick ponies usually become glue.

How are you not a one trick pony?  How do you squeeze in investing in yourself with your current schedules?

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

Related Posts:

1. How To Start A Fight With Your Neighbors
2. Looking In The Rear View Mirror
3. No Job, No Problem