The investment business is worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year.  Organizations spend millions to get your money and hope you believe their investment strategy is the best.

We are inundated with magazines, 24-7 investment channels, and investment “experts” on every aspect of the market.  All of this is irritating because rarely does anyone honestly tell you the best investment decision you can make.

There is no doubt you can earn a decent return over time in a well diversified portfolio.  That’s no secret. My long term money is invested in the market.

However, the best investment no one talks about is investing in yourself.  Time and time again this is absolutely the best investment you can make in your life.

I’m not simply talking about taking more college courses or mandatory trainings from your employer.  I am referring to making a commitment to learn new skills, improve old ones, and changing with the times.

When you make the commitment to invest in yourself, the return on investment will begin to multiply exponentially over time – similar to compound interest.

“Success Doesn’t come to you, you go to it.” – Marie Colling

At First you may not notice the payoff from the investment, but there will be a time when your growth will sky rocket.

Investing in yourself can lead to promotions at work, starting new businesses (like myself), better health, improving relationships, and much more. It is really the investment that keeps on paying dividends.

Most people go to college then believe there is no reason to learn much more.  If you want to find success, you need to continue to grow.

There are three reasons why we stop learning: cost, time, and laziness.  Since I know the people reading this article aren’t lazy, the main reasons must be time and money.

Luckily we live in the best time ever to continue our education.  We have access to learning at our fingertips that our ancestors only dreamed of having.

Let’s discuss 5 ways to invest in yourself.

1. Podcasts

Most of us have a commute to work or a mundane activity we must do each week (i.e. clean the house, mow the grass, exercise, ect).  Instead of turning on Pandora Radio to the 90s mix, look into Podcasts.

Podcasts are the best way to hear inspiring stories, learn new skills, or brush up on your own industry.

Jump on iTunes or Sticher and you can find topics that cover everything from business to comedy.

2. Online Courses

Want to learn to code?  Improve your marketing skills? Start your own business?

You can do that today because there are courses at your fingertips for no charge.  YouTube is filled with great information.  If you only watched Ted Talks on YouTube you would dramatically change your life.

You can take real courses from the Khan Academy.  Even MIT has courses you can take for free.

If you don’t mind paying for something, then check out Udemy, Lynda.com, or Skillshare.  I learned how to place Facebook ads from Udemy and it was one of the best courses I ever took (and I have my MBA).

There are also a number of courses taught by people who specialize in a particular subject.  You can find some great courses on copy writing, marketing, starting a blog, and much more.

 “Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it gets better by change.” – Jim Rohn

3. Library

Most people don’t read books because they don’t want to purchase them or don’t want to make the trek to the library.   According to Zig Ziglar, 58% of all people in our society, when they finish their formal education, never read another meaningful book.

Well, it’s not your grandfather’s library anymore.

You can rent books from the library and read them on your Kindle or iPad.  There is a large number of books that you can check out and have for two or three weeks.

You can also rent digital books and play them on your device of choice.

Do what most people don’t – read books and become an expert in a topic.

4. Join a Group

Maybe you’re an introvert (like myself) and want to meet more people.  Then join an organization.  I don’t care where you live, there are groups to join.

A few sites to check out are Meetup and LinkedIn.  You can find groups to join that have local meetings.

Just in my area you can join groups that discuss blogging, business, marketing, running clubs, and more.

Also, consider looking into Toastmasters International.  This is something on my list of things to do because it is a phenomenal club.  Learning to speak in front of groups is a skill that everyone could improve.

5. Go to a Seminar/Conference

A great way to learn more about your industry or break into a new industry is attend a seminar or conference. Not only will you learn a great deal, but you can also meet a number of new people.

If you don’t have the money to attend a conference, then try to be in the area when the conference will be held and attend meet ups. That way you can meet a lot of new people and start to foster more relationships in the industry.

If you pick one or two of these ideas, take action, and stay committed, your investment will pay off astronomically over time.