Life Philosophy: Invest in Yourself
Be a lifetime learner.
The working world can be hectic. As a management consultant, work can be non-stop. Some days it can feel like you’re running from one burning building to the next, only stopping to determine which one is burning hotter.
When the deadline is always just around the corner, and there are several work streams that all need to keep moving, it can be hard to keep ones head above the water, much less come up and take a deep breath. Corporate America will not remind us to, it doesn’t serve them
However, unless we knowingly, intentionally, take time to build into ourselves, we cannot keep growing into the person we want to be.
What do you want to learn? A new language? How to play an instrument? How to improve your mental and physical health? How to increase your confidence through public speaking? Maybe you want to attend that conference on an area that is a passion project for you, not just a professional one. Maybe you want to finally take that cooking class with Le Cordon Bleu.
All of these things contribute to who you are and the life you lead. People don’t flinch at a $500 all-inclusive island trip (what a steal!) but shutter at the thought of spending $500 on themselves.
Time is your most valuable resource. Money is a tool — keep that in mind. Know your priorities and goals, and give yourself the ability to work towards them, Consider that when spending.
If you’re looking for free/cheap ways to get started learning, here are a few of my favorites:
1. General Assembly — they have sites in cities all over the world and host a number of free in person and virtual learning events. For everything from negotiating, to meditation, to UX design and product management, this is a great place to start.
2. Coursera — this is not always free but if you’re just interested in learning, they have a ton of courses you can audit! Or, if you’re like me and like shiny new certifications to post on LinkedIn, they have great monthly and annual plans. (or you can see how much you can get done in the 7-day free trial! Shhhh)
3. CodeAcademy — CodeAcademy is a great way to get a strong foundation in languages like Python, Java, HTML & CSS.
4. freeCodeCamp — this is another great option for coding that grows with the learner. My friends who have been developers for over 10 years still say they have a lot to learn from this tool.
5. KhanAcademy — you may have forgotten about this site since it saved you from high school math. But it doesn’t stop there! Khan Academy also offers great resources to learn more about taxes, interest and debt, saving and budgeting, housing, keeping your information safe, entrepreneurship, and keeping a growth mindset.
Reflect on your goals often. Recenter yourself. Think: Am I closer to my goal today than I was yesterday?
It’s never too late to start.
