Invest in yourself in 2021

As 2021 begins, we speak to experts about how one can make use of 2021 to improve themselves and succeed in life

We all have many concerns and responsibilities and tend to forget about ourselves. However, in order to make progress, you have to focus on yourself. You can only do this if you invest in yourself and here is how.

Health

Hard work pays, but without proper health, one cannot achieve much.

Dr George William Wasona of St Martin Medical Centre, Mubende, says it is key to guard one's health. For COVID-19, follow the guidelines such as social distancing, wearing masks, sanitising and avoiding crowds.

However, COVID-19 is not the only ailment one should guard against.

Dr Wasona advises that you always go for check-ups for non-communicable diseases.

"The effects of some diseases can be stopped if they are detected early. This will not only help you start on medication early, but save your life in the long run."

If you are healthy, it is advisable to maintain that status through diet, exercise and lifestyle.

Good nutrition

One cannot eat junk food, for instance, processed, refined and deep-fried products for long and expect to stay healthy to achieve one's goals.

Regular consumption of junk food predisposes one to conditions such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension leading to an earlier grave than anticipated.

Experts recommend good nutrition that includes fruits, vegetables, healthy proteins and carbohydrates in moderation.

Dr Wasona says proper nutrition encourages good health, which is important in achieving one's goals.

Exercise

Ivan Wong Sennyondo, the chief instructor at Country Wing Chinese KungFu School, advises one not to wait for the doctor to tell them to start exercising in order to save their life, but recommends that one should start now.

This will help one to lead a healthy life and achieve their goals.

Religion

Similarly, you do not only remember your God in tough situations, but always.

Rev. Fr Joseph Mukasa Nkeera, the head of Kampala Archdiocese communications' department, says they used to call people to come to church, but they never showed up.

"When the pandemic prevented them from coming to church, they were disturbed," he says. "Next time it might be another situation hindering you from praying, you should use the moment now to get closer to your creator."

He adds: ‘‘Jesus said come to me all those who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. So, remember to take your burdens to God.''

Invest in others and social graces

One cannot exist alone, one needs others. Invest in good relationships because as the saying goes, one good turn deserves another, you too will benefit from them one day.

Lilian Tindyebwa, a literature lecturer at Kabale University, says besides your family members, you can invest in other people as well. These can be from your place of worship, neighbourhood or workplace.

You can choose to invest in your employees such as providing further education opportunities, as well as sharing with them in good and bad times.

"When you invest in others, they may be in position to help you when you need them. For instance, as teachers when we invest in our students and we go beyond the call of duty, such students always remember and they are good to us when they have made it," Tindyebwa says.

On the other hand, there are social graces that people take for granted. But when they are taken away, they miss them terribly: things like greeting, being in company of others and shaking hands.

Fr Nkeera says if you have an opportunity endeavour to utilise it fully.

You can start by honouring the people God has put in your life. This can be done by meeting some of their needs and directly telling them how much you appreciate them.

When people know that, definitely you will have a deeper relationship.

Holistic growth

While investing in yourself, do it in a holistic manner, that is, encompassing your emotional, spiritual, physical, economical and social being.

"It does not make sense for you to be doing great in your financial life when you are a hermit," says Samuel A. Bakutana, the founder and chief executive officer of Inspired Leaders International.

He says instead of allocating time to only one aspect of your life, say work, you can start by venturing into other social areas.

Peace Sabano, a human resource manager at Tata Consultancy Services Limited, says one should join professional associations, clubs or bodies where you can meet people that challenge you to be better.

"In such groups, you learn what is happening in the industry and get to know the available opportunities, which will help you to learn how to add more value to people's lives," she says.

There are opportunities one might miss if one is not a member of such associations.

The associations include Uganda Law Society, Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers, Uganda Medical Association, Uganda Society of Architects and Uganda National Private Teachers Association, among others.

Volunteer

Sometimes the best way to promote yourself is to offer your services free of charge.

For students and recent graduates, Sabano advises one to volunteer with companies that they envision to work with.

You can volunteer in refugee camps, schools, media houses, such as radio and television stations, hospitals, orphanage centres and building sites if you are an engineer.

Invest in knowledge

Some people spend lots of money and time in class to get knowledge yet they can learn books. Bakutana says one should invest in buying and reading good books.

As the saying goes, education never ends. Although some things you can learn them from mentors and books or videos, others you need to be in class. So, 2021 could be the year you upgrade.

Sometimes, you need to change a career to a better one, so by enrolling in that field, you will be able to perform that dream job. For instance, you might be an accountant yet you want to be a lawyer, so you go back and get that training.

Get rid of bad habits

There are some habits that are undesirable that if one got rid of them, one would go far.

Tindyebwa says one of the habits one can choose is dishonesty.

She says dishonesty can cause one to lose one's job, business and clients. Other habits include complacency, excessive binging on alcohol, gambling and theft, which can affect your progress.

Reward yourself

The burdens and hurdles of this world will never end, so any accomplishment you make is worth celebrating.

Rewarding yourself does not have to be expensive, but it is always good to celebrate small victories that will propel you to the next level.

Financial discipline

In his book Take Charge of Your Money, John Ntende urges one to have financial discipline.

Ntende says you have to avoid debts and start saving immediately. You can use your company SACCOS so that there is an automatic debit of your salary. With sufficient saving then you can be able to invest in a well-researched business.

Besides that, you should avoid spending money on a whim which will plunge you into more debts.

Ntende appeals to people to have more assets than liabilities (things that bring in money than those that take away money).

Network

A common saying goes your network is your net worth.

Sabano encourages people to network with others not only in those to with the same expertise, but also other fields.

You can do it by attending conferences, parties and fundraising activities, such as marathons. You can also use social media to start connecting with people you would want to learn from. Such contacts can also help in your line of work.

To cultivate the relationships you have got from networking, you can inquire about the family members or send birthday and holiday wishes, for instance, Christmas or New Year's Day. These help establish a rapport, making it easier to make use of that relationship.