3 Ways to Invest in Yourself + Reap the Rewards in Your Business

You're doing pretty well, keeping all those balls in the air when someone suggests you add another one to the mix.That someone is me, and fortunately the ball I want you to add is one that will enhance your ability to juggle everything else.The ball I'm talking about? Development, both personal and professional. Think of it as "me time" with a goal. There are three different approaches you can take to expand, deepen or broaden your own skills and invest in yourself - and all three can benefit your business.

1. Professional skills, directly related to your existing business or skillset

This is the most obvious type of professional development - learning a new skill that directly relates to something you currently do.For example, if you're a web designer, you might consider adding print design skills which would enable you to offer an additional line of services in your business. Or a one-on-one coach could develop a group program to help her reach more clients in the same time.While this type of development has the most obvious and direct benefit on your business, it may also be the least fun, least stimulating and least appealing approach for you, so let's consider another one... 

2. Professional skills, unrelated to your existing business or skillset

Learning an entirely new skill which is unrelated to anything you currently do is a great way to get those creative juices flowing. You may also find that once you've gained the new skillset, it can be applied in other ways that directly benefit your business.For example, I once attended an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) course to learn how to better effect change with my coaching clients. What I didn't anticipate was how beneficial it would be to my copywriting skills online or how much I'd use it when crafting sales page copy, marketing pitches and even blog posts. It also helped me better communicate with loved ones and see how and why we had struggled to "get" one another.The course still counts as one of the best investments I've ever made in my own personal and professional development.

3. Personal skills, doing purely what interests you

This is typically an area most of us Mogul Moms just don't have time for.Who can pencil a glass blowing class (a long-desired hobby of mine) into her schedule or learn a new language, just for the fun of it? Or, what is an ETF?And yet some of the totally unrelated, personal interests you'd love to pursue could well be the key to expanding your creativity, helping you understand the world around you and improving your business.That's been the result of some of the interests I've made room for in my life this past year - Goddess guidance, poetry and more.Believe me, they're the last things I was interested in and yet they've had an unexpected, positive impact on my life - both personal and business - this year in so many more ways than I'd ever have expected.Right now is the perfect time to plan some personal and professional development into your 2012 schedule. Commit to investing in "me time" that can benefit all areas of your life and business.

What new things are you going to learn in 2012? Share in the comments!

Lea Woodward is a location independent entrepreneur who runs Inspiring Ventures and Startup Training School with her husband, Jonathan. She works with digital pioneers to find flow, make a difference and create their own economy online. You can find her on Twitter at @LeaWoodward.{Top Photo Credit}