Three Easy Ways to Invest in Your Personal Health
3 Easy Ways to Invest in Your Personal Health
As a military spouse, I never put much thought into my husband’s daily routine. This was true until I noticed him excelling while I was spiraling downward — fast. While my husband attended a six-month professional school, I took a temporary hiatus from the workforce. During this time, I developed some bad habits. Things I once considered “core beliefs” were pushed aside. My mental and physical health suffered as a result. I quit doing simple things like going to the gym and scheduling routine hair appointments. In my attempt to be frugal because I wasn’t bringing in a paycheck, I had stopped investing in myself.
These decisions inevitably caused undesirable side effects. Worst of all, I started to resent my husband’s success. I didn’t want to live this way, so I began to observe our lives in a way I had never before. What had changed?
Here’s what I learned…
When an individual commits to join the U.S. military, they agree to honor and uphold a creed. Creeds are unique to each branch, but all share one common belief: pride in their commitment to excellence. For most, the term excellence is open to interpretation. In the military, however, excellence is measurable. To succeed and advance in their careers, service members must abide by enforceable standards. They have the responsibility of investing in themselves mentally, physically, and financially as part of their duty to service.
Service members are expected to invest in their personal health in these three ways:
Mental
They are expected to stay abreast of current events, engage in certain reading material, and study for technical exams and/or promotion boards. They receive on-the-job training, participate in field exercises, and attend specialty schools to advance their skills.
Physical
They are expected to workout regularly as part of their job in an effort to meet required physical standards and maintain a fit, fighting force.
Financial
And they are expected to invest monthly in their personal appearance to include haircuts and uniforms, and stay out of financial trouble to be eligible for security clearances.
Watching my husband, I realized these are not practices unique to the military. They are simply wellness habits that lead to personal success. Sadly, I had given up each of these thinking I was being a supportive, financially-conscious wife.
“The moment you stop investing in yourself is the moment you have written off future dividends in life.”
Using my husband’s template for success, I created my own plan for personal excellence. In each category, I’ve listed the top five things that are important to me. Over the next 12 months, I will use this roadmap to set goals, budget for expenses, and track progress. You can do it too.
Three Easy Ways to Invest in Your Personal Health (free printable)
Remember, the most important asset in your life is — you! Make the commitment to invest in yourself today.
How will you invest in yourself?
Blog originally published on February13, 2014.
ABOUT MICHELE
Michele Bradfield loves bringing ideas to life. She's a communications specialist who uses creative storytelling techniques to create experiences that bring people joy. Michele co-founded InDependent and is now the Senior Cause Marketing Manager for Blue Star Families. She's a proud Army spouse and mom to two beautiful girls living in Virginia. When Michele's not dreaming up creative campaigns, you can find her outdoors running, hiking, or reading a good book.
