One of my favorite quotes is from Gary Vaynerchuk regarding the ROI of a basketball being zero to most people, but to people like LeBron James, it’s worth billions.
This is how I feel with the investments we make towards our personal development. The ROI of an introduction to programming book to me was invaluable. It pushed me towards a skill that’s high in demand, provided me a career for the future, and fed my economical engine so I can provide for my family.
Think about it, for less than $50 dollars to buy a book, you can be propelled into an industry that you never thought you would be part of. Maybe that $200 dollar continuing education class might inspire you to learn more on your own. Hell, perhaps even a new $1000 laptop will give you the confidence to learn something new.
I’ve struggled with this in my past regarding how much I should spend on myself. How much is just too much though? I would argue you can’t put a price on it. For example, I’ve spent at least $1000 dollars on books last year, and it simply doesn’t phase me because I believe the ideas even from a single book can have this significant ROI for me.
The barrier to entry towards personal investment is quite minimal when you think about it. However the systems underneath obtaining the ROI is what really matters, and surprise! It’s free. Time is your most valuable resource and you can decide to make the most of your time or not. You can put away 30 minutes a day to learn a new skill like a programming language. You can take that extra hour after work to cook for yourself instead of always eating out. This all requires a massive change in your mindset.
Fighting The Resistance