There's a disturbing phenomenon I've noticed that prevents people from having the success they want:

People refuse to make an investment in themselves.

Usually, this means a financial investment, but it could apply to a time investment too.

Here's what I'm talking about. You have a dream or a goal, and in order for you to go to that next level to achieve it, it requires that you invest in a coach or an online training course or a physical product or tool of some kind.

Often people will say they can't afford it or they don't have the money.

It's one of the most common barriers people use as an excuse for not achieving their goals and dreams.

On the surface, you might think that it's about money. But it's not. It's about commitment. If you're truly committed to going to the next level, to achieving your goal or dream, you'll be resourceful and find the money.

I've encountered this a lot while working in sales in a music shop. People come in to look at a new instrument and they'd start the conversation by asking what the cheapest instrument we had was. Or instead of investing in music lessons, they would say they're going to teach themselves from Youtube to see if they're any good first.

Too often we hedge our bets. We just dip our toe in the water because we think “what if I don't like it?” or “what if I'm no good at it?”

We don't go all in. We don't immerse ourselves.

If you've got a big goal or dream, like making a full-time living as a musician, you can't just dabble in this and hope to get the results you want. Go big or go home!

If you just do or get the bare minimum, you're unconsciously saying to yourself that you've already given up before you've even started, that you're not going to make this work, that you're not worth the expense, the time, the effort. You're selling yourself short. You're setting yourself up for failure from the very beginning. You're sabotaging yourself by creating a self-defeating cycle.

The other thing we sometimes think is “what if it doesn't work?”

We don't want to “waste money” on something that might not give us the result we want.

What's more painful? Losing some money or not achieving your goal or dream because you haven't given yourself the best chance?

The cost of being wrong is less than the cost of doing nothing.

You can’t be afraid or reluctant to invest in yourself. Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

By not making that investment in yourself, you're living a smaller existence.

There's some area of your life where you want to go to the next level…

In your health. In your relationships. In your learning and growth. In your art. In your career.

What is it worth to you to get the result that you want? Is it worth exchanging a certain amount of money to make your dream a reality?

When you do make an investment in yourself, you're far more likely to follow through and be committed and make it work, because you've got some skin in the game.

I've been willing to make an investment in my health. I eat an organic plant-based diet. I take high-quality organic supplements to optimise my nutrition. I have monthly appointments with my naturopath to get the support and guidance I need. All of those things are expensive. But my health is my highest priority, so it's worth it to me. I want this outcome of optimal health, so I'm willing to make that investment.

I've been willing to make an investment in my learning and growth. I've spent tens of thousands of dollars studying coaching and personal transformation, time management and productivity, marketing, copywriting, the music business, and social media. I have ongoing monthly subscriptions to keep up to date on the latest developments in some of these fields. Again, I'm willing to make that investment in my learning because it means I keep growing, I improve the quality of my thinking, I can provide more value to my clients, and, ultimately. I can make a bigger contribution to the world.

The best investment you’ll ever make is investing in yourself. It will pay you dividends for the rest of your life. Make an investment in yourself and put some skin in the game. You're worth it.