Five ways to invest in yourself this Valentine’s Day

It’s Friday night; one person excitedly gets ready for a romantic evening full of promise, while another hurries out of a 24-hour supermarket with a hastily-bought bunch of roses. One couple sit at home in their pyjamas getting a Chinese takeaway (but they split the last spring roll because, even after eight years together, the romance never dies), while elsewhere a married couple of 40 years have fallen asleep on the sofa watching Coronation Street.

That’s right, folks, Valentine’s Day is upon us! But whether you’re single or happily attached, we figure it’s about time we all started investing in our own well-being and showing ourselves a little more love. So, to get you started, we’ve come up with a few ideas of our own…

1. Challenge yourself in your career

There’s no denying it, the start of a new year is the perfect time to have a think about where you want to go with your career. Of course we’re biased, but getting yourself a formal qualification is a brilliant way of investing in both yourself and your career. From giving you a fresh set of ideas to bring to your current role, to teaching you some new tools, techniques and skills to add to your CV and take onwards to a new position, this is one purchase you’re sure not to regret.

2. Learn a new skill

Another way to focus on yourself is by learning a new skill. Perhaps there’s an aspiring musician in you waiting to come out, or you want to start up a side-hustle as an app developer? You could even become the next Jamie Oliver and attend a cooking course, or recreate that infamous scene from Ghost in a one-on-one pottery class… Whatever floats your boat, broadening your skillset can open up a world of new opportunities and experiences, none of which involve heartbreak!

3. Listen, watch and read more

There is an abundance of fantastic content out there to pique your interest, whether it’s to further your career, learn more about a particular issue, or purely to take your mind off things for a little while. Attend a webinar, listen to a podcast, watch a YouTube video, or get stuck into a new blog, whitepaper or book. Conveniently, if you’re interested in project management, ILX offers all of these resources and more on our website, so now’s as good a time as any to start focusing on you.

4. Relax and unwind

Life isn’t always about the hustle and bustle; sometimes you just need to switch off. Have a bath, cook a delicious meal, get lost in a good book, or pop down the pub for a cheeky pint with your pals and end up out out at 2am on a Tuesday morning. Relaxing and unwinding doesn’t necessarily have to mean going on a yoga retreat in Bali, sometimes it’s just whatever makes you sit back and slow down for a moment or two.

5. Learn to appreciate your current situation

As amazing and fulfilling as it is to be focusing on the future of your career, creating new opportunities, and planning holiday after holiday with money you don’t yet have, it’s easy to lose sight of what you’re doing right now. Yes, it’s always good to set goals, but making sure you’re doing your current job to the best of your ability is just as important. If you’re constantly looking ahead, then you could end up missing out on opportunities that are already well within your reach, whether that’s an exciting upcoming project, or simply the chance to bond with your colleagues in the morning tea break.

If that’s one slice of cheese too many for your liking, or you’re just about ready to explode with self-appreciation, we hope it’s given you some food for thought when it comes to showing yourself some love at this hyper-romantic time of year. If you’re feeling particularly inspired, why not get started by checking out our range of project management, data science and IT service management courses? Go on, treat yourself.