***#2-Building your dream whilst working full-time? Get this No. TWO investment right

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This article is a continuation from the previous article #1-Building your dream whilst working full-time? Get this No. ONE investment right. Let’s reset the scene if you’re brand new here, if you have read the article, you can go straight to Investment no.2

If I say the word “investment”, what comes up for you?

For some, it brings images of property, money, men or women in suits or graphs. For others, it could be words such as risk, loss & gain, strategy, growth or numbers.
When you decide to build up your dream, you may do so swiftly and effectively while still working full time at your current job. That’s when the word “investment” will take a whole new meaning for you. During this transition time to setting up your own business or job or career change, you will need the appropriate investment portfolio. In my book Passion Pays, I refer to four specific types of investments that you will need to manage. I am laying them out to you, each in one article. In this article, let’s view the second investment. Are you ready?

Not so fast. Just like any journey, before we set off, let’s check that you are fully equipped:

- Belief in your dream? Check.
- Awareness of your emotional reason, you ‘Why?’ Check.
- Willing AND ready to commit? Check.
- Read investment no.1? Check.

Now, we’re ready. So, the second of the four investments.

Investment no.2: EFFORT
Now is the time to kill the myths surrounding potential, purpose and talent: while these attributes are helpful, they do not take you all the way to the finishing line. For this, you need attention, maintenance, care and diligence. Genius is merely the seed idea of an invention. The invention itself, the ripe fruit, follows effort. Thomas Edison, one of the greatest investors of all time, was well positioned to comment that “Genius is one percent inspiration,ninety-nine percent perspiration”.

Technological advances may have accelerated certain processes; however no machine can supersede the necessity for willpower, stamina, readiness to change, peace and love towards achievement. Thomas Edison is also quoted to have said “I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.” So, when you build your put effort in doing something you love or your passion, you embark on a natural and joyful path. Effort is a significant investment at physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual levels. That’s why you need to choose where and how to spend your energy so that all your life activities point in the same direction and contribute to your intention.

Think about the things in your life that you invest in physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Do they serve your balance and focus? What physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual rewards do you get in return? Do you need to make some adjustments?

It is said that it takes 21 days to engrain a new habit. That’s 21-days-in-a-row, not 21-days-excluding week-ends-and-holidays. In such a period, there is no “day-off” because you’re building momentum to form a habit. Practice being the ‘You’ that you want to become. Let’s say, for instance, that you’re working on the quality of patience. You arrive at a team meeting and once again, you’re the first to arrive and waiting for your colleagues to show, coffee in hand. It’s a perfect opportunity for you to practice the thoughts and deeds of patience. Don’t just wait for an opportunity directly related to your dream. I don’t mean that you should create an opportunity at every cornerto practice patience; like walking in the street behind the frail old lady struggling with a walking stick, while there’s plenty of room to overtake her and go about your business. I mean that you must work on your new habit every of the 21 days, increasing to 25 days or 30 days even.

Take time to digest and plan your (first and) second investments. In my next article, I will take you through investment no.3. If you want more inspiration, go ahead and download a free book sample from my book Passion Pays, on which this article is based.

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