FFN 013: Invest in Yourself

Welcome to your Friday Field Notes – a short episode delivered each week designed to help you think critically about what it means to be a man.

My goal is to help you become a better leader in your family, your business, and your community.

If you’re interested in getting involved in more discussions like this and want to take charge of your life, I encourage you to check out our elite mastermind, The Iron Council.

This week, I talk about the power of investing in yourself.

Transcript, Invest in Yourself

Welcome to the Order of Man Podcast! My name is Ryan Michler and I am the host and founder of Order of Man. Whether you’re new to the show or you’ve been listening for a while now, I want to welcome you to the manliest podcast available.

We’re talking about all the things important to you as a man, from relationships to fitness, starting businesses to protecting your family, we’ve got you covered.

Most of you know by now we have a full interview show released each Tuesday. This is a short show released each Friday. I’m going to share a lesson, a thought, or an idea I’ve had over the past week and we usually go 5-8 minutes.

So, make sure you subscribe in iTunes or wherever you get your fix of podcast so you never miss a show.

Now, let’s get into this today. I want to talk about investing in yourself. If you’ve been listening for any amount of time to Order of Man, you know that I am a financial advisor by trade. I have been for 8 years.

I cannot even count how many ideas people have wanted to invest in. It ranges from stocks and bonds to gold and silver, from rental properties to exotic art, from private islands to private jets and everywhere in between.

But, you know what I rarely hear people want to invest in? Themselves! That’s right, everyone wants to invest in other people, other ideas, other ideas, but no one wants to invest in themselves.

I cannot for the life of me figure this out. It either too hard or too expensive for people, they don’t see the value in it, or it’s something that’s been overlooked.

Look guys, I’m here to tell you that if you want to have any measure of success in life, you better find a way to invest in yourself. I know it can get expensive but the question shouldn’t revolve around cost. The question should be, “Can you really afford not to?”

Now, while we’re on this topic, let’s talk about the word, “invest.” The idea behind an investment is that you give some sort of capital: time, energy, resources, and, in this case, money to an idea, project, or venture with the hopes of it returning back to you with more capital – again, time, energy, money, resources, etc.

What’s interesting is that when you make an investment into a traditional vehicle (stocks for example), it might, MIGHT return back to you but there’s no guarantee.

When you invest in yourself, however, it ALWAYS yields a return. A guaranteed return, yet we don’t do it. Or we don’t do it to the degree we should.

When’s the last time you went to a conference? When’s the last time you spent money on a course? When’s the last time you bought a book?

I might be preaching to the choir here because you fine gentlemen are obviously willing to invest time, energy, resources, and money into improving yourselves or you would be here. But, let me ask you this? Can you name a time where you invested in yourself and you didn’t get a return 5, 10, 100 times over?

And, if you can’t think of a time where that happened, I am challenging you to double down on that investment. If you knew you couldn’t fail, would you do it?! Of course you would! That’s exactly what is happening when you invest in yourself. You CANNOT fail!

I was looking at my book library the other night with my wife and we calculated that I have close to $6,000 in books. I’ll spend in the ballpark of $20,000 on coaching and events this year. I tell you this because I want you to know I’m serious about what I’m telling you right now. This is critical in your life.

So, what does this look like? How do you invest in yourself?

Lowest barrier to entry is books. Physical books. Audio books. I don’t care as long as you start building a library. Use the library if you have to – it’s free.

Second, attend events. There are events happening all over the world and they’re focused on topics you care about. You need to go rub shoulders with the people that care about the same things you do. You’ll learn a ton of information and you’ll start building another type of capital we’ll talk about in another podcast called relationship capital.

Next, consider a mastermind of sorts. Whether it’s local or done virtually, a mastermind will connect you with other like-minded people and allow you to see things in your life that are difficult or impossible to see for yourself. The power of masterminds is in the accountability they bring to the table.

If you really want to take this investment thing to the next level, consider hiring a coach in whatever field of life you’re trying to improve. Need to get in shape? Hire a fitness coach. Need to grow your business? Hire a business coach. Look for the people who are experiencing the same results you want to see in your life and do exactly what they do. SIMPLE!

Bottom line guys, invest in yourself. I don’t care where or how but if you want to take your life to the next level, it’s what you’re going to have to do.

Albert Einstein has said, “We cannot solve problems at the same level of thinking we used to create them.” In other words, you live in a box. It’s your box. You created it and you live in it? The only way to get out of the box is for you to actually get out of the box you created. But, you don’t know how? You can’t see outside the box. You can’t see what’s on the outside? But, others can.

And, that’s why it’s critical you read, go to conferences and event, join masterminds, and hire coaches. They’re going to help you see a world you didn’t even know you existed.

Now, let me disclaimer what I’m about to say with this: I’ve got two resources for you where you can start tapping into some of what I’m talking about here. As much as I want you here, I don’t care if you join me or invest somewhere else. Just make sure you’re doing something.

The first resource is our elite mastermind, The Iron Council. We meet together each and every week online, we’ve got a closed FB Group where I share exclusive videos, you’ll be given assignments, complete daily challenges, and be accountable to the other men in the group in taking your life to the next level. It’s $67/month. You and I spend more than that each month on shit that doesn’t matter. I suggest you start spending it on things that do.

Check it out at www.orderofman.com/ironcouncil.

Second, our inaugural Order of Man Uprising Experience in the mountains of Southern Utah. This event is going to be help September 15-18^th 2016. We’re taking 3 days in a cabin and we’re working together to help you become a better protector, provider, and presider over yourself, your family, your business, and your life.

We’ve got tactical scenarios, survival situations, hiking in the most beautiful parks the country has to offer, fireside mastermind each morning and evening, and world class instruction to help you gain the confidence, discipline, and mastery you need to take your life to the next level.

You can get more of the details at www.orderofman.com/uprising.

I hope to see you in The Iron Council and at The Uprising. Guys, go out there invest in the one thing that is guaranteed to give you results, yourself!

I look forward to talking with you next week but until then, take action and become the man you were meant to be!