Investing in Ourselves

Today I noticed that one of my investments is paying off.

Little yellow teacups on saucers are balancing on the edges of green stalks. This bright spot of color in a still dreary spring is my dividend. 

Now that I’m enjoying the beauty, I don’t remember the cost. But I do remember it seemed expensive at the time. There were other things I wanted to buy with that money.

But experience had taught me that if I wanted flowering spring bulbs, I would need to buy and plant them months in advance.

When I got the box of dry-looking bulbs in the mail, they looked nothing like the beautiful flowers I had imagined. The enclosed literature said that they needed to be planted right away. I didn’t really have time for that. So, I set them on a garage shelf.

But the expensive box would be a real waste of money if I didn’t at least try. So eventually, I took the time and spent a fall morning planting bulbs.

Thank goodness I did. Because I now have beautiful yellow daffodils growing in my yard. I’m seeing the return on my investment of time and money and reaping the rewards of the harvest.

You can’t go back in time and plant daffodils. 

You can only plant them in the fall and wait for them to develop.

The same way with planting trees.

The same with planting any crop.

If you want to enjoy the fruit, you have to invest in the seed.

As humans, we want what we want – when we want it.

Unfortunately, for our limited patience and short attention spans, a lot of worthwhile things aren’t instantaneous. The things of true value are growing, changing, becoming kinds of things, like lasting relationships and successful businesses.

The harvest we want to enjoy tomorrow starts with planting a seed today.

A flower seed takes a week or more to germinate. And that’s just the beginning. Once the seed breaks open and the tiny sprout starts to grow, it needs sunshine and water. Every day the little seedling uses energy to grow deeper roots and spread out leaves to gather more light. 

Eventually, with patience, the little seed you planted will become something that can benefit you, whether that’s a flower to enjoy or a tomato to eat.

It’s the same way with investing in your own growth or developing a business. You start with the seed. The idea. The dream of the harvest.

Then you put a whole lot of time and energy and perhaps an investment of money to feed that potential harvest. 

And it won’t be able to feed you right away. You have to feed it.

But you do it because that investment has the potential of eventually feeding you. 

The investment in yourself may seem slow. It feels frustrating when your business isn’t immediately successful, and you can’t go on a vacation or take money out to buy a new car. 

But you and your business will have to spend some time in the seedling stage. The roots need time to grow. The leaves need time to gather more sunlight. Eventually, this slow process will create a strong stalk and deep roots that will be more self-sustaining.

Your seedling stage may not look like much. You may still be building ideas. Maybe it’s taking a long time to source the right materials. It might take more research to figure out who the ideal customer is or clarify what needs you are meeting in the marketplace. 

Some businesses take more time than others to mature. They’re like the peonies that can live up to 100 years in one good spot. But they take a few years to start blooming.

It can be tempting to dig them up and decide they’re not worth the investment. But if you want a huge peony bush that blooms every June, then you need to have patience and keep watering it, allowing that plant to get all the sunshine it needs. All the while believing in your dream of a reliable bloomer that pays you back every summer.

If you’re a farmer, your business is literally what you are growing. Your business is your field, and spring is a good time to review what’s growing. You look around and see what other investments you want to make.

It’s the same with any business or self-improvement. Take a look around and decide if the investments you’ve made so far are starting to mature. Is it time to plant something new? Are you ready to invest in a new crop? Or focus on something that has been successful in the past?

When I talk to entrepreneurs, they talk about starting with one product or idea that they saw was needed in the marketplace. Then they spent the required time and energy to invest in that idea. 

As the business grew, they had to make adjustments along the way. Without knowing exactly how it would look or what the result would be, they had to make an investment of time or money and often both.

It wouldn’t be until months or years down the road that they would receive the real return on their investment. Or see that some investments didn’t pay off in the way they had hoped.

But without any investment at all, there would never be a return.

Right now, you may be looking at a bag of bulbs and wondering why you should plant them. Why should you spend $50 on dry papery things that look nothing like yellow daffodils or pink peonies?

But if you follow through, there will be a cold and rainy March morning when you look out your window and are greeted by green shoots and budding yellow blooms. And you’ll be glad you spent the time and money months ago. 

All those college classes, workshops, online courses, certifications, and networking are worth it. 

Those investments in yourself and your business will pay you back in an eventual harvest. There will be a beautiful feast.

Have a little faith in yourself.

Take that class. Invest in that business. Plant that garden. 

The time and effort you make now will pay off later. 

Believe it. 

Grow it.