Why You Must Invest in Yourself to Succeed

Back in my high school days…when dinosaurs roamed the earth…I worked at a shoe store most evenings after school and on the weekends.

This being the 1990s, the most popular styles were dark, clunky, Spice Girls platform boots that would leave a trail of squashed enemies in your wake.

The store dress code was strict—only black or white tops and bottoms. Since I needed clothes that I could wear to school and then to work without changing or having to bring a separate bag, I decided to invest in timeless, high-quality pieces.

It would probably surprise you that I wore black and white almost exclusively in high school, seeing as my current wardrobe looks like a unicorn vomited rainbows in my closet.

But those quality pieces lasted me for years, and much longer than my teenage boyfriends. I felt unstoppable because I knew everything I owned looked amazing on me.

These refined capsule wardrobes are all the rage now, but I was doing it when my peers were spending their allowances on body glitter and belly chains.

And apart from the platform boots, I’d wager that most of my old black and white wardrobe would look classic and appropriate today.

Lesson learned: You must invest in yourself if you want to succeed.

Investing in a remixable wardrobe helped me succeed at my mall job, saved me tons of time getting ready every morning, and provided interview-ready outfits for my next jobs.

These days, I invest in myself by hiring my own life coach, taking training classes, and knowing when to splurge and when to skimp on resources for my business.

Hiring a coach for myself was really scary the first time. I worried that I’d plunk down a ton of money and then not be able to do the work and then watch my business fail.

But the exact opposite happened. By investing in my success, I had the accountability and advice that I had been (desperately) missing so that my coaching business became fully booked the following month.

Money is energy, so put your energy towards the things that can help you reach your goals.

It’s the same for my clients. Getting past the fear of failure and actually getting started is the hardest part. About 90% of my clients who have their own businesses earn back all the money they’re paying me within 3 months. The fastest has been 2 days.

Maybe you don’t need a coach—or maybe you do!

Think about what else you might be avoiding or stalling on when you should be taking a leap of faith and going for it.

  • Maybe you want to go back to school.
  • Maybe you want to lose weight and get healthy.
  • Maybe you want out of a bad situation.
  • Maybe you want to move someplace new.
  • Maybe you want to start a business.

Take one small baby step today to invest in your success. Your future self will thank you.

This post focuses on Step 3 of the Life Editing Process, Add Good Habits and Routines. For more about life editing and what it can do for you, click here.

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13 Comments

  1. Kerryn Hewson on July 10, 2015 at 4:46 am

    You’re so right and I love that Lucy pointed out the time investment. The thing that derails me the most is when I have a couple days away from even thinking about my business and feel disconnected. So making that daily commitment to toy with it, think about it, and even just read my own stuff can help avoid that.

    My VIP Day with you Sage has been priceless! I finally have the focus to do just the next thing instead of being overwhelmed by all the things and second guessing myself. It might have taken a little while to get the ball rolling but I can really feel the momentum now. 🙂

    I’ve also been overdosing on Denise Duffield-Thomas’s Periscope videos (and you can catch them all on her YouTube channel) which have been great for keeping me in the most positive and productive mindset.



  2. Erika on July 7, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    I love your word pictures in this post, Sage! “…dark, clunky, Spice Girls platform boots that would leave a trail of squashed enemies in your wake.” Priceless!

    Anyway, I do agree that investing in yourself is very important. And I agree with Lucy that sometimes that can mean making time for yourself – it’s so hard to do that sometimes. I know I got a lot out of when you were coaching me last year. The money part did scare me but it was totally worth it!



    • Sage Grayson on July 9, 2015 at 10:51 am

      Haha, those 90s platform shoes were awesome! I’m trying to have a little fun with my descriptions. 🙂 I still get scared when I pay a lot of money for coaching or training too, but it’s always been worth it.



  3. Dacia on July 7, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    This post comes at just the right time! Last week, I purchased another online business course, which at the time felt right and just what I needed, then afterwards I was second guessing myself and wondering if I bought it for the right reasons and not just stuck in an endless cycle of learning and intake without any output. But at this point I am in a learning phase and that’s okay.



    • Sage Grayson on July 9, 2015 at 10:54 am

      YES! It’s OK to be learning and soaking up information. You will apply it soon enough so give yourself the freedom to invest in good things for yourself and business.



  4. Sarah @ Long Island Nerd on July 7, 2015 at 9:42 am

    Well, you’ve pretty much listed everything that I want to do with my life in your list of reasons you may need a life coach, ha! I agree that it is important to invest in yourself. Lately I’ve been investing in my happiness. I never used to buy anything for myself and I’ve recently been indulging in a few things that I love (candles, etc.). It seems silly to think that a candle is a splurge but when you NEVER buy things for yourself it is. And it paid off because it has led me to nightly meditation that helps me release myself of the day that I had so I can leave all of the yuck behind and enjoy my evening 🙂



    • Sage Grayson on July 9, 2015 at 10:53 am

      That’s awesome, Sarah! I love it that a modest investment in yourself is having a big impact on your happiness.



  5. Lucy on July 7, 2015 at 8:59 am

    I think it’s so important to invest in yourself, every day if you possibly can. But, investing doesn’t always mean spending money. It can be reading a book that teaches you something or makes you think, it can be taking time for yourself to mediatate, exercise or socialise. Or, it can mean buying expensive educational programmes and hiring coaches. I’m beginning to think I need a coach, but, as you say, it’s a scary investment! But, if you want to progress you have to invest! Education doesn’t end when you leave school…



    • Sage Grayson on July 7, 2015 at 9:26 am

      I agree, sometimes investing in yourself means blocking off time to do the activities that really build you up. For me, that’s reading, taking long baths, and meditating.



  6. Susan on July 7, 2015 at 4:33 am

    2014 was the first time that I spend real money investing in my self. I took part in the Jack-Canfield coaching. This opened doors to other investments/coaching programs . The next coaching I did was LimeTreeFruits Life in Flow. This wasn’t as expensive as Jack but had a very big impact.
    Through Raine I started up my blogging, then invested in my new business which will be a new website done my her. Can’t wait for that to go live.

    Then I invested in your programs which helped me map out my life more (thank you for that Sage)
    So I use your worksheets combined with my other coaching programs to get me to where I am now.
    As soon as I start making money out of my new adventure I would like to go much deeper into your coaching program.
    But I know I have to take one step at a time. So until then I’m happy to be in this community



    • Sage Grayson on July 7, 2015 at 9:28 am

      I’m so happy you’re a part of this Life Editor community too, Susan! 🙂



  7. Gisele Grenier on July 6, 2015 at 9:15 pm

    A wonderful story Sage. To answer your question, after being so unhappy with my two blended, yet very different careers and feeling like I sold myself out to a client I didn’t believe in, out of desperation,

    I spent 6 months with deep meditation, yoga and working through a “finding our purpose” course. Even after the course, I ‘thought’ I knew my purpose, but was still feeling a bit lost. It was with the help of two Ted Talks by Simon Sinek and Tony Robbins that the lightbulb got really bright and things got really clear.

    For the last 7 months, I’ve been on the right path, making mistakes on the way, but staying very, very focused. What I want to work on next is my personal self and get healthier.



    • Sage Grayson on July 7, 2015 at 9:29 am

      That’s fantastic, Gisele! You’re right, when you’re working on yourself, you’re going to make mistakes along the way–I know I have! But it’s important to keep moving forward.