Your most important asset is yourself. You have the capacity to develop your skills, gain knowledge and grow as a person. So understand that you are a valuable asset and if you want to achieve greatness you need to invest in yourself. The most successful people in history have always made an active effort to invest in themselves whether they were taking courses in their field or simply learning from mentors. But it is important to understand that investing in yourself isn’t a short term process, it is a long term plan that must be consistent. Therefore, if you want to develop as a person for your career or to accomplish your goals, here are three beneficial ways you can start investing in yourself for the long run.

Whether you are in school or working in a job right now, you should be taking courses on the side. You can take online courses or even take workshops in your community and these will help you grow your knowledge. By learning from industry experts you will be able to learn valuable lessons and gain industry insights you can apply in the future. Thus, taking courses in your field is one of the best and easiest ways to gain new knowledge and grasp complex topics. In addition, taking courses from experts has been made easier with the free and paid online education platforms. Some great online education websites that offer a variety of affordable courses about different topics are Lynda.com, Udemy, Shaw Academy and Creative Live.

If you are looking to grow your skills or build your knowledge then start reading. By reading you can gain expert knowledge about a topic from world renowned influencers. Although it would be ideal to sit down with industry experts face to face, reading a book provides a similar educational experience. If you don’t regularly read but you actually want to read more books then definitely check out my article which explains how you can read more books in 8 simple steps.

In addition, another way you can invest in yourself is by gaining work experience in your field. Whether you want to apply your knowledge, develop your knowledge or learn a new skill, hands on experience is one of the best ways to do it. You can get experience from attending conferences, working in field related jobs or even simply volunteering. Remember, that if you want to invest in yourself you have to be willing to invest money and time to improve your skills and knowledge. Thus, working an unpaid internship in your field can give your valuable knowledge and experience for your long term career. But always remember that just because a job or experience is unpaid doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial or worth your time.  Therefore, strive to get some real work experience in your field whether it is working as an intern, taking a part time job or working on side projects.

Furthermore, if you are trying to grow and develop in your field, make sure you constantly invest in your future by taking online courses, reading books and gaining work-related experience. By investing in yourself today you will essentially be building the foundation for your future success.