The annual rush to drain consumer pockets is well and truly underway!
The advent of Black Friday heralds the start of the annual retail bonanza. A dizzying array of special offers conspires to loosen our collective purse strings and wallet clasps at a time when many are swayed by the promise of annual bonuses.
Talk at the coffee machine turns to debate about where to splash our cash. Our inbuilt FOMO, fuelled by overhyped advertising, leads to a frenzy of spending on consumables and fast depreciating assets.
This is a time that calls for cool heads and a rational assessment of the best investment of our precious disposable income.
The seven habits
Steven Covey published his classic, “The seven habits of highly effective people” over three decades ago, in 1989. It’s a great credit to his work that it is so well known and so frequently quoted from to this day.
If you haven’t yet read it, take it from me that it is well worth your time. The seven habits that he encourages people to adopt are both simple to understand and powerful in their application.
His seventh and last habit is the one that still resonates most with me: “Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal”. In it, he stresses the importance of continually renewing and refreshing one’s personal ‘production capability’.
Personal renewal
Covey advocates taking time to step back from the day-to-day routine and pursue personal renewal. An important source of renewal is learning and development targeted at honing one’s skills, strengths, abilities and potential.
Covey uses the metaphor of a ‘sharpened saw’ and demonstrates it with the example of a lumber jack who gets paid according to his productivity.
Without taking time out from his work to sharpen his saw regularly, the lumberjack’s productivity – the number of trees he is able to cut down in a given period – will drop dramatically over time.
The learning is equally, if not more valid, for those of us who work in desk jobs.
Sharpening the mind
Our minds can be equated with the lumberjack’s saw. We use our minds to apply the awareness, knowledge, skills and experience that we have acquired over many years. Our minds need to be kept ‘sharp’ if we are to succeed and prosper in today’s competitive jungle.
The point I am making, with help from Steven Covey, is that it is vital to make a regular investment in your own capacity.
Your best investment
Not only is such self-investment crucial but, from the perspective of the returns that accrue over time – growth of both a financial and personal nature – it is without doubt also your best investment.
The best time to invest
As I write this, we battle with a sluggish economy and money is tight.
For that reason, many will argue that the time to invest in one’s personal growth and development is not right. Ironically, though, the same people are often enticed by the hype that surrounds Black Friday to blow their money on luxuries and consumables!
We all know that the best time to invest in the stock market is when it is in a down cycle. Likewise, the best time to invest in oneself is when times are tough.
By using the slowdown to take stock, re-evaluate goals and invest in your own capabilities, you position yourself to recognise and take advantage of the opportunities that spring from challenging times. You also place yourself in pole position to exploit those that will arrive with the inevitable upturn.
Contrarian behaviour
Black Friday weekend and the coming festive season offer a perfect time to indulge in some contrarian behaviour.
Slow down, reflect and take stock of your life. What makes you happy? What kind of life would you love to live. What can you do to prepare for that life?
Instead of following the herd, do something different. Make your best investment …
… An Investment in your own self awareness, growth and development.
It will repay itself many times over!
Hi Bill
Thank you for this inspiring blog post. I will be in touch with you for enrollment into the foundation course at the discounted offer.
Thank you Susan, we look forward to that!
Hi Bill,
This has been an exciting and refreshing read for me. I do somewhat share your sentiments on Black Friday and actually find it a stressful time of the year due to the FOMO I experience when people start discussing deals that they capitalised on. I find that the best way to avoid splurging is to keep a list of the items I need within the next year, and that I know I definitely have to buy, but that I’d also like to try saving on due to their significant cost. If I don’t find those items on special, I resist the urge to look left and right, I don’t buy anything else. and my pockets thank me for it! Coincidentally, the New Insights Coaching Course was item number 1 on my Black Friday wish list this year. I’ve been following your blog since about 2016/2017 and I’ve been wanting to do the full certification programme, but was afraid to commit the money and time necessary since I’d given up my full- time job and relocated to start a family a year or two prior to that. So it’s been a long journey of me following New Insights and then volunteering as a coachee for one of your recent trainees, to me finally deciding to dive right in now when I’ve just had my second child and I see this discount as the ideal opportunity. To me, it is serendipitous that this coaching course has been discounted in the exact year that I decided to add it to my Black Friday wish list (I recall having missed the previous opportunity for a discount a few years back when you had discounted it for Valentine’s Day and I have kept an eye out for another discount ever since). It’s like the universe just needed me to decide and commit to doing it by adding it to my list. So, I think that now is the time and I am ready to do this! I look forward to studying again, to learning again and to, hopefully, growing with each new bit of knowledge gained. What stuck out for me in your post was the question “What makes you happy?” and I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately, following the recent death of my father. I’ve realised that my time on Earth is precious and I need to get more serious about setting clear, meaningful goals for my future. I had two other options lined up for the direction I would like to take my career in in 2023, but doing a coaching course was the option that excited me the most. When I thought of the other two, I saw the work and late night and long hours as a schlep that I would have to push through – they would both make me money, but wouldn’t make me happy. When I thought of this coaching certification programme, its interactive nature and potential benefits to my own personal growth, I knew that even if it required late nights and long hours, I would happily make the sacrifice because this would be far more meaningful and enjoyable for me.
So thank you, Bill, for this opportunity. I look forward to starting the certification programme!
Hi Sarah, what a wonderful contribution, thanks for taking the trouble and I am so pleased that you are going to be joining us. I am sure you will love the programme!
Hi Bill.
Great challenging article.
I was introduced to New Insight Coaching a couple of months ago and have been doing an in-depth thinking and reading on your portal. I was looking to start the coaching programme in January 2023 but your discounted offer especially in these challenging times is not to be ignored. I want to be a full time Life Coach in the next 5 years so want to start the journey to learning and earning. Looking forward to learning.
That’s so exciting Charley. Thank you and we very much look forward to welcoming you as a trainee life coach!
Hi Bill, there is so much of truth and inspiration in your words. Being a certified life coach and using the New Insights philosophy has been very uplifting to me this year and has allowed me to start helping so many others. Working on yourself is most definitely the best investment you can make.
Hi Suraya,
That’s so uplifting to hear. Thank you and well done!
Hi Bill, thank you for sharing. It is inspiring and so true that at this time of the year, it is easy to look at what we can buy to add to our earthly possessions. I am once again reminded of the great value of investing in myself and personal growth.
Thanks for contributing, James!
Hi Bill,
This has been an exciting and refreshing read for me. I do somewhat share your sentiments on Black Friday and actually find it a stressful time of the year due to the FOMO I experience when people start discussing deals that they capitalised on. I find that the best way to avoid splurging is to keep a list of the items I need within the next year, and that I know I definitely have to buy, but that I’d also like to try saving on due to their significant cost. If I don’t find those items on special, I resist the urge to look left and right, I don’t buy anything else. and my pockets thank me for it! Coincidentally, the New Insights Coaching Course was item number 1 on my Black Friday wish list this year. I’ve been following your blog since about 2016/2017 and I’ve been wanting to do the full certification progrme, but was afraid to commit the money and time necessary since I’d given up my full- tike job and relocated to start a family a year or two prior to that. So it’s been a long journey of me following New Insights and then volunteering as a coachee for one of your recent trainees, to me finally deciding to dive right in now when I’ve just had my second child and I see this discount as the ideal opportunity. To me, it is serendipitous that this coaching course has been discounted in the exact year that I decided to add it to my Black Friday wish list (I recall having missed the previous opportunity for a discount a few years back when you had discounted it for Valentine’s Day and I have kept an eye out for another discount ever since). It’s like the universe just needed me to decide and commit to doing it by adding it to my list. So, I think that now is the time and I am ready to do this! I look forward to studying again, to learning again and to, hopefully, growing with each new bit of knowledge gained. What stuck out for me in your post was the question “What makes you happy?” and I’ve been asking myself that question a lot lately, following the recent death of my father. I’ve realised that my time on Earth is precious and I need to get more serious about setting clear, meaningful goals for my future. I had two other options lined up for the direction I would like to take my career in in 2023, but doing a coaching course was the option that excited me the most. When I thought of the other two, I saw the work and late night and long hours as a schlep that I would have to push through – they would both make me money, but wouldn’t make me happy. When I thought of this coaching certification programme, its interactive nature and potential benefits to my own personal growth, I knew that even if it required late nights and long hours, I would happily make the sacrifice because this would be far more meaningful and enjoyable for me.
So thank you, Bill, for this opportunity. I look forward to starting the certification programme!
Hi Bill, I have been trying to enrol for your life Coaching Programme for over 2 years now and was unable to do so due to the devastating health diagnoses my husband received. Today I stand juxtaposed between life and death – the death of my beloved 7 days ago and new life with the birth of twins today for my son and daughter-in-law. The perfect time has come for me to pursue my dream of life coaching and what better way than to start with a much appreciated discounted offering for your Life Coaching programs. Many thanks ? Jennifer
Hi Jennifer
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss and at the same time delighted for the new additions. The cycle of life is a wonder that presents us with intrigue, joy, sorrow and heartbreak but it holds great learnings to help enrich our lives. I hope you will derive great satisfaction and growth from your decision!
Very insightful Bill. I can agree it is always worth investing in yourself! I started doing it many years ago and have never looked back and am always looking for new opportunities to do so, and to make others and my own life better.
Thanks for your contribution Pip!
Best investment ever, certified coach with new insights. I have used the materials and continue doing so to develop myself, sharpen the mind and helping others do so
My coaching practice is work in progress and am glad l took this investment
Thanks Bill
So good to hear – thanks Agatha!
Hi Bill, although I am not a practicing life coach, I completed your course and passed the exam and can vouch for the incredible investment it was in my own life. Living as an immigrant in another country, going through all the difficulties, I could lean on the teachings in your course to pull me through. It is valuable knowledge to have, most of which I wished I had when I was much younger. Love it!
How wonderful of you to offer this comment – thank you Essie and best wishes!
A superb piece of inspiration, Bill, inspired by the wisdom of one of the greatest authors on human potential. I quote Stephen Covey often in the presentations I give, in my own blogs and in my coaching sessions.
Thank you Karen. Yes, he is certainly someone whose writings deserve our attention!