debbiebradleyHow many times have we heard that if you’re not willing to pay out the cash and “put a little strain on yourself” then you won’t see results?
I’ve heard it a lot.
From people who have done it. Who have the money (or available credit) to invest… the mental capacity and support system around them to allow them the time and freedom to fully invest in themselves.
But what happens when you don’t have that?
What happens when your bank account is at zero before the months out? Or worse, has that awkward little minus sign before a fully rounded number…
What happens when you spend all day focusing on others, so by the time you get five minutes, you just want to sleep, never mind focus on yourself?
Maybe your support system relies on you as much as you rely on them? It’s a balancing act with no time off…
Then it gets hard.
What happens when you’re so spent on time, energy and money, that “investing in yourself” is just another strain…
Then you need to stop.
Stop listening to those that are saying it’s the only way forward.
Debt is not the answer.
More debt definitely isn’t.
Time and energy are your most valuable resources. You need all you can.. and you need to use it wisely.
Stress isn’t any good for you. More stress about how to pay for something is even worse for you.
So don’t do it.
Don’t pay for it just because someone running a business says if you’re not willing to pay then you’re not serious… it’s bullshit.
Behind it, yes, they want to help, but behind that, they want to increase their profits from last year… they want to do it without signing on higher numbers (because we’re all busy) so instead they raise their prices… it makes perfect sense… business-wise.
But how does that help you?
It doesn’t.
Newsflash: paying for it, won’t make you serious!
The pressure of not being “invested” if you’re not willing to pay the big money is just another thing to add to the pile of life’s pressures. Maybe it’s not that you’re not willing… how about you’re not able?
Maybe adding another bill to the endless list of bills you already pay really could be the final straw.
How can you work effectively if you’re not sure you’ll make it to next payday with your bills paid on time?
You can’t.
So stop.
Stop trying to pay more than you can comfortably afford.
If you can’t afford it, don’t pay.
Here’s a simple way to figure out if it’s worth it: what impact will paying for that thing (course/program etc) have if you don’t bring any more money in?
If it’s detrimental, stay away.
Don’t pay extortionate fees for something you could learn from a book on loan from the library or a few quid at the book store.
There are better ways.
I’ve listened to so many people touting about how much money they’ve invested in themselves, their businesses. Hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands… and I’ve wracked up the figures myself.
Here’s the thing… sometimes throwing money into it is like paying for a gym membership you never have the chance (or inclination) to use – it’s just another expense!
I’ve spent thousands investing in courses and programs for a chance to work with some great people… but the problem lies deeper…
The programs needed to be suited not just to my budget, which they weren’t, but also in alignment with where I am in the moment, who I want to be, and how I want to be.
I’ve jumped into programs to get me fully booked… for a business I wasn’t fully committed to, or invested in. I reinvented my business 3 times during the duration of the program, because “NICHE! Pick one thing!” No. I don’t want, so instead, I became indecisive and flaky AF.
A program on discovering what my audience really wants from me… without an actual audience. – Again, niche, serve one people, do one thing… boring AF
“Masterminds” and accountability groups to help me grow my business… with no real definition of what my business is… and THAT has been my biggest downfall.
I listened to others.
People clued into what they’re doing, who had an idea of what I could do… but what that was wasn’t aligned with who I really am, or what I really want.
I’ve been treating it like a gym membership that I don’t use… (which I did for a few months) I’ve been throwing money at my “life” hoping it will magically get unbroken somehow…
It won’t help.
It requires actual work.
All of which, I can do for free… it just requires a little dedication and brainpower on my part.
A bit like opting out of the gym membership and going for a walk instead.
Investing in yourself does not need to cost you any money.
Investing in yourself with your time and energy will be far more effective… both of which you can have an abundance of, even without the price tag… and they’re less stressful to afford when you’re already heading towards financial breaking point.
So give yourself (and your bank account) a break.
Leave the money where it is… let it pay for the essentials in life until you’ve figured out what you really want.
Use that extra brain power you’ve saved by not being stressed about how to pay for something and use it to create a better life for yourself.
You know you wanna.
Now that as a longer money rant than expected (yeah, it’s a touchy subject for me at times) but what else is “investing in yourself” costing you? Cos it’s always about more than just the money…
There’s the time.
On top of everything else you’re already doing, there’s your time… more time you’ve gotta find to do the program, to figure out what’s going on.
Half the time the program basically rips apart everything you’re already doing (somewhat successfully, might I add) and tells you it’s not right and you need to start over with some complicated as fuck process that will probably take you ten times longer than what you’re already doing. (But “don’t worry, cos further down the line, you can systemise/automate or outsource” the entire complicated thing that you never considered doing in the first place)
But all the fluff just “adds value” right? That’s what you pay for… cos if you’re dolling out thousands of pounds, you want 45 minutes of training or work spread out over an entire week or month. Repeating itself here and there. Yeah? No.
Then there’s you…
Actually YOU, at your core, not the money, not the time, the energy… YOU. At your core, the person who knows what they want, and how they want. Who’s doing OK, and getting through. The person who thought that maybe they could do with a little support or to figure out some neat little tips and tricks to move things up, but what happens?
You start questioning yourself.
Doubting yourself.
Second-guessing yourself, and every little thought or idea that comes into your mind.
Why? Because it doesn’t line up with the formula!
It goes against the teaching!
Maybe you don’t know best and should just focus.
Maybe you should just let all that other stuff go because it doesn’t line up and will be confusing to the people who find you and your business.
What happens when you start doubting and questioning yourself like that?
You slow down… you stop coming up with ideas, well, no… you stop running with your ideas.
You stop trusting yourself.
Your confidence flatlines and you start to feel bad about yourself, your business, your capabilities.
Whether or not you’re even cut out for this kinda thing.
Well, fuck that.
Don’t EVER pay someone to make you feel bad and doubt yourself.
Don’t EVER question your own judgement on what you should be doing.
Why?
Because YOU know YOU best, and you know what feels right to you, even if it doesn’t make any freaking sense to anyone else.
If you wanna invest in yourself, then REALLY invest in yourself.
Your time, your energy, your money, should all be invested into yourself, along with your self-belief and trust that actually, you’ve got this shit pretty much handled.
And if FOMO and bullshittery want to take you for a spin, tell it “thanks, but I’m good.”
If there is even the slightest hint that something feels off, no matter the glitz and glam of the pretty videos; carefully thought out words, the “I CAN HELP YOU!” screams… people tapping into fear and judgement for your attention (cos scaremongering works. Always, in everything)… the SLIGHTEST hint that something doesn’t feel quite right, r you’re not quite sure… then let it pass.
Invest in yourself that way.
Invest in trust.
Invest in instinct.
Invest in self-belief.
Cos once you invest in those things, things get a whole lot calmer… and they cost you nothing.
