Staying Proactive In Trying Times

with guest Ryan Coon #MakingBank S4E50

On this week’s episode of the Making Bank podcast our guest was Ryan Coon of Avail, an application for landlords and renters alike to utilize for functions from rent payments to insurance and beyond. Ryan gave us insight as to how the global pandemic has been making an impact on his industry, from the perspective of both landlords and renters. Ryan also gave some us some great business advice for those new to business and seasoned professionals can implement into their professional practices. Another more generalized point Ryan brought up often throughout the episode was continuing to invest in yourself. Investing in yourself should continue to be a lifelong practice, both in business and life in general. There are so many different ways to go about this and will be different for everyone, but we have some suggestions to get you started.  

Get The Wheels Turning 

To get started with investing in yourself take stock of what aspects in your life are the weak points and what are the strong points. Maybe you have been working around the clock and have neglected prioritizing family time, perhaps start there. Maybe you have been meaning to catch up with friends, take an afternoon and call a few friends to check in. Maybe you have been meaning to spend some time doing hobbies, make the time; these things are what enrich your life. These are just some examples of how being present in your life can make for a more fulfilling existence, it cannot always be all work and no play. Burnout is very prevalent in the lives of many entrepreneurs and can lead to many other issues in both business practices and personal relationships. Let’s be proactive in caring for yourself before reaching the point of total burnout. We will dig deeper into ways to invest and care for yourself during this time of social distancing and staying home.  

Physical Means Of Investing In Yourself 

Exercise is one of the best things we can do for our overall health. The physical benefits of exercise are not the only benefits, beyond burning fat, gaining muscle tone, and losing weight there are so many other benefits to breaking a sweat. The mental and emotions benefits of exercising are just as important as the physical. Some of these benefits include reduced levels of anxiety, energy boost, reduced levels of depression, better sleep, better brain functioning, and overall improvements in moods and confidence. There are endless resources available online about the mental and emotional benefits of exercising if you want to see a more in-depth list of benefits. So overall exercise is rife with benefits and there are so many ways to exercise that can be tailored to your needs. Whether you like taking long walks, biking, weight lifting, yoga, or dancing these are all great examples of viable ways to get your body moving for your overall health.  

Crack Open A Book 

Reading is another activity that can greatly impact your life in some obvious and unexpected ways. There are literally books about everything, like everything. You can read for research, for work, for leisure, for escape, for entertainment, you can implement reading into your life in so many ways. If you are not sure where to start with books, consider this, think about the type of movies you like to watch and those interest can be similarly applied to reading. If you love documentaries and investigation style series, sounds like you may be interested in biographies and true crime books. If you like romantic comedies, sounds like you may be interested in what are commonly considered “beach reads.” If you love movies based on historical events, sounds like you may be interested in historical nonfiction. For some reading comes easily, but others you may have to work on your reading routine, perhaps start with a chapter everyday or 50 pages every other day, you will find your stride, but you have to get started somewhere. Beyond gaining knowledge or being entertained there are other proven benefits of reading, some of which include, stress reduction, improvements in memory, better writing capabilities, expanded vocabulary, and improved concentration and focus. Again, there are more in-depth resources available to you online to see the full list of reading benefits.  

Audio And Visual Means Of Investing In Yourself 

Moving on from exercise and reading let’s talk about more digital means of investing in yourself. Movies are a great way to sit back and relax; the entertainment industry is just that, meant to entertain you. Therefore, just like books, there is a movie style for everyone as well. From comedies, to westerns, to horrors movies, to documentaries, to mob movies, to dramas, to classics and film noirs, the options are endless. Movies not only entertain us, but they bring people together as well, which can be in the form of a family movie night, or a movie club where friends get together and discuss a film. Allow yourself some time to relax and watch a movie or two.  

Another digital way to invest in yourself is by listening to podcasts; just like movies and books there is a podcast for everyone. Podcasts like ours, The Making Bank Podcast for businesses and entrepreneurs are a great way consume information when you are on the go, podcasts are versatile because you can multitask while listening. You can listen to podcast while commuting, while exercising, while working, or whatever else you have going on, that is the beauty of podcasts. There are news podcasts, business podcasts, music podcasts, really anything you can think of, down to very niche interest podcasts.  

Hopefully these examples of how to get started investing in yourself inspire you to take some time for self-care. Browse your bookshelf for something that you can dive into, roll out the yoga mat or get that spin bike out of storage, browse through and subscribe to new podcast, pop some popcorn and watch a movie. These are all ways you can take some time for yourself and enjoy a little break from your routine.