One great question to ask if you're interested in self-improvement is "Am I investing in myself?" – particularly when you're feeling stuck, or when your progress towards your goals hasn't been so fast as you'd like.

    So what does "investing in yourself" mean? This depends on what your goals are, but these are three big areas you might want to invest some time, money and thought in:

    Your appearance

    Your skills

    Your health

    All of these are important for success in many walks of life. Here's why, and some ideas how you can invest in each.

    Investing In Your Appearance

    This might seem a very shallow thing to put at the top. Unfortunately, like it or not, we all tend to judge on appearances. In some jobs or roles, looking the part can make a real difference to how others perceive and treat you.

    Just as importantly, your appearance can have huge effects on your self confidence. Have you ever been at an event where you misjudged the formality and ended up very under-dressed or over-dressed? I'll bet you felt awkward and out of place. Conversely, you might well have taken extra care over your grooming before a big presentation, and felt more confident as a result.

    Investing in your appearance might mean:

    Saving up for a good suit

    Getting up ten minutes earlier to have time to look your best for work

    Asking a fashionable friend for advice on your usual "look"

    Losing some weight （also important for health reasons）

    Taking some time to revamp your wardrobe, ensuring you have clothes that mix and match well

    If you feel that your appearance is the big area you need to invest in, Trent from The Simple Dollar has some strong advice （particularly if you're in a fairly traditional job） in his article on The Value of Personal Appearance.

    Investing in Your Skills

    All of us have a certain skill set, often based on our jobs （current and past）, our hobbies and our day-to-day experiences. Employers tend to be interested primarily in skills – what you can do. Some of these will be very specific to particular jobs （technical skills, such as being able to program a computer） and other skills are "transferable skills" that you can use in many careers as well as in day-to-day life （such as public speaking or presentational skills）.

    Clear five or ten uninterrupted minutes when you can sit down and list your skills. Put down little things as well as big ones – being able to bake the perfect cake is a skill!

    What skills could you develop, with the investment of a little time or money? Could any of these form the basis of a new career, a side business, a fulfilling hobby, or something you could offer to your community?

    Health Top Tips Nutrition Love Lifestyle Happiness Weight Loss

    Some ways to invest in your skills are:

    Read a book that teaches you something new in a particular area

    Attend a local course

    Take part in an online course

    Ask someone to mentor you

    Schedule regular time to practise

    Investing in Your Health

    Too many of us are storing up health problems for later life – one that could cause financial problems or give us a huge reduction in quality of life. It's much cheaper to focus on staying healthy than to take preventative action once something's gone wrong. If you're in good health, you'll perform better at work, you'll have more energy to work towards your goals, and you'll generally feel happier!

    Don't just think about your physical health, either; mental health is just as important （and, indeed, your mental and physical health can't be considered in complete isolation）. By investing some time and money now, you could save yourself a huge amount of both in the future. Here are some ideas to get you started:

    If you're over or under weight, start taking action

    Get some exercise each day – great for your body and mind

    Take good care of your teeth （dental hygiene, and regular visits to your dentist） – tooth pain can be crippling

    If you work at a computer, learn about RSI and how to prevent it.

    Eat a healthy, balanced diet, focusing on fruits, veggies, wholegrains and lean proteins.

     Don't smoke, take drugs, or drink excessive amounts of alcohol.

    What areas could you invest in? Is it worth spending some money or some time now in order to improve your position in the future?

    如果你对自我改善感兴趣，你通常会问（一个极好的问题）:"我应该对我自己进行投资吗？"-尤其当你感觉停滞不前的时候，或者当你为实现目标所取得的进步并不像你期望得那样快的时候。

    那么自我投资意味着什么？这取决于你的目标是什么，但也许你想投资一些时间、金钱和思想到下面三个领域：

    你的外表

    你的技能

    你的健康

    这三项对各行业人的成功至关重要。下面将讲一下这是为什么以及你应怎样对这些投资的建议。

    投资你的外表

    投资外表看似很肤浅，放于首位似乎不妥。遗憾的是，不管喜不喜欢，我们都倾向于通过外表来评价一个人。在一些工作和角色中，看起来适合这项工作对观察和接待你的人来说绝对意味着不同的结果。

    你的外表对你的自信有巨大的影响，正如它是如此重要一样。你有没有经历过这样的事情：你判断错了场合，结果穿的过于随便或过于正式？我敢打赌你一定感觉很尴尬，感觉与场合格格不入。相反，在出席一个大的仪式以前，你应该格外注意你的打扮，这样你会感觉更自信。

    投资你的外表意味着：

    为一件考究的西装存钱

    提前十分钟起床，在工作前将自己调整到最佳状态。

    询问时髦的朋友对你平时的外表有何建议

    减掉几公斤（也是为了健康）

    花一些时间整理衣橱，保证你有搭配得很好的衣服

    如果你感觉外表是你非常需要投资的地方，来自Simple Dollar的Trent在他的文章个人外表的价值中有一些建议（尤其当你从事一种相当传统的工作时）.

    投资你的技能

    我们都有自己擅长的技能，通常这些技能是基于我们的工作（现在的和过去的）,爱好及每天的经历。雇主们倾向于对技能感兴趣--你能干什么。对特定工作来说，一些技能需要非常专业（专业技能例如编程）,其他技能是"可转换技能",这些你可用于许多职业以及日常生活中（如在公共场合说话或展示自己的技能）.

    清出五到十分钟，在不受打扰的时候，坐下来，列出你的技能。小的技能也要记下来-能烤出完美的蛋糕也是一种技能。

    投入少量的时间和金钱，可以发展什么技能呢？这些技能能不能成为一种新工作、一种副业、一种令人满足的爱好的基础或者一些你对社区的贡献呢？

    投资技能的一些方式：

    读一本能让你在一个专业领域学到新知识的书

    参加当地的培训

    参加网上课程学习

    找一个导师指导你

    安排固定时间练习

    投资你的健康

    我们中有太多人在晚年出现多年积累的健康问题-一个可以引起经济问题或影响生活质量的问题。保持健康比出现问题后进行预防划算得多。如果你很健康，你会在工作时表现得更好，你会有更多的能量朝目标努力，你也会感到更快乐。

    不要只考虑你的生理健康，心理健康同样重要（事实上，生理健康和心理健康并不能完全分开来考虑）.现在投资一些时间和金钱，你可以为你的将来节省一些生理和心理上的健康。从现在开始这里有一些建议：

    如果你体重过轻或过重，现在就采取行动

    每天做一些锻炼-对身心都有好处

    保护好你的牙齿（注意口腔卫生，定期做检查）-牙痛往往难以忍受。

    如果你用电脑工作，了解并预防辐射

    健康合理的饮食，多吃水果、蔬菜、谷类食物和精益蛋白质。

    不要吸烟，不吸食毒品，不过量饮酒。

    你能投资到什么领域呢？现在花一些时间和金钱提高你将来的地位是不是很值得？