*I received complimentary Invisalign® treatment due to my collaboration with the brand, but all opinions are my own.

The arrival of a new year provides everyone with an opportunity (or an excuse) to wipe the slate clean or to build on the foundation that was established the previous year.  The mission of My Fab Finance is to help people become financially free so that they can live a life they love.

One of the biggest complaints I have about most approaches to financial education is the shaming of individuals for doing things that make them happy. We focus heavily on return on investment but often negate the benefits of investing in yourself.

Now of course when it comes to investing in yourself there are things that are completely out of reason for your financial situation, but there are things you can do within reason.

Here are three ways to invest in yourself this year.

Prioritize Yourself and Say “No” More

When is the last time someone asked you to do something that you didn’t want to do and you said no? Sometimes saying yes to someone else means saying no to ourselves. This year I want you to think about what you want. Yes, there are some things that we can’t say no to, but ask yourself if something is optional or required before saying yes. You don’t have to turn down every request, and I don’t encourage you to but I do encourage you to become more comfortable saying no to things that you do not want to do and that does not stand to benefit you in the short or long term.

Remind yourself that you don’t have to show up for everyone, but you have to show up for yourself and continuously showing up for yourself isn’t selfish, it’s self-care.

Make the change you’ve always wanted

I’ve long rejected the belief that wanting to change something about yourself means that you don’t love yourself. If you don’t like something about your life or self and you have the power to change it, do it.
Last year I invested in myself by finally getting Invisalign® treatment. While others told me I didn’t need it and my smile was fine, I realized my teeth had shifted a bit from when I had braces at a young age, and with increasing media appearances for my business it was something that I was self-conscious about and wanted to improve. I’m really happy I moved forward with my decision.

I’m still currently in treatment, but the changes in my smile started to happen quickly and I saw such a great difference. My orthodontist has been monitoring my progress each step of the way to ensure that I ultimately get the smile I want. Believe it or not, I’ve been in treatment for almost a year already! Even with my heavy travel schedule and being a new mom, my Invisalign clear aligners fit seamlessly into my busy lifestyle and people can hardly even tell I’m undergoing treatment because the aligners are virtually unnoticeable.

To find out how Invisalign treatment can work for your smile, visit Invisalign.com to find a trained orthodontist or dentist in your area.

Whether it’s making improvements to your smile or finally committing to that workout routine, do what you need to do (within reason financially) to feel like you are putting your best step forward. I’m not saying go into debt for the change though. But if you can afford to do it, make the change.

Take The Class

Is there a skill you’d like to learn that will help you cut costs, boost your side hustle, or do something you’ve always wanted to do? Education shouldn’t be limited to grade school and college. There is so much to learn in life and there are classes that we can take to enrich our lives such as cooking classes, craft classes, or business classes that are actually investments in yourself. By taking cooking classes, you can cut costs on dining out and entertaining as well as healthcare costs. It’s an all-around win and investment in yourself.

A few years ago I took a knitting class because it was a stress relieving past-time that actually allowed me to create handmade gifts for friends and family.

Those are just two examples of how a class can transform your life for the better this year but there are so many other ways.
Investing in yourself will look different for everyone because we are all different.  Take time this year to determine what investing in yourself in 2019 looks like and then take the steps necessary to make it happen.