Investing in myself

We all know the saying, “You have to spend money to make money,” but actually doing it can be uncomfortable. It was thus a big decision for me to hire a career coach and quit a part-time job within the span of a week back in October. Doing so meant earning less and spending more, with no firm plan in place to start earning enough money to live on.

Fortunately, it was a risk I was able and willing to make. After several months without seeing any real improvement in my professional situation, I needed to enact semi-drastic measures in hopes of turning things around. Now, almost four months later, plans are taking shape. I’ve accepted a few small freelance contracts at a higher pay rate than before, and I’m feeling nearly ready to launch my own money-making projects. In the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t taken me that long to get here: a few months’ investment of time, money, and energy in my own future. And I’m a pretty good bet. Success becomes me!

But seriously, it does. And it does you, too! Plus, investing in oneself, if done with passion and a positive attitude, is a low risk/high reward endeavour.

I’ve been thinking a lot about investing in myself lately because I’m contemplating investing even more. I want my own apartment with dedicated office space. But Toronto, a city I love and want to keep living in, is expensive. Going it alone is a big financial commitment, especially for someone who’s self-employed. What I need to do is come up with my ideal compromise situation given the resources at my disposal—that is, how much I’m able to invest. I guess this means I’ve got homework to do. I need to figure out what’s important in my life, assign a cost to each item on the list, and then make adjustments to my lifestyle (personal and professional) to live my best possible life. No easy task. But an investment I can’t not make.

You may be ready to join my PhD Career Clarity Program. Most people start with this free webinar.

For Professors, Postdocs, and Other Overworked, Underappreciated PhDs Ready to Change Careers
After this free 80-minute training you will know how to focus on what’s important instead of letting academia dictate your future; job search strategically without wasting time trying to follow advice that doesn’t apply; apply for the right jobs, ones that let you do what you love without burnout
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Something else on your mind? Email me at Jen@FromPhDtoLife.com