5 Life-Changing "Investments" That I've Made in the Past Year

Over the weekend, as Ben and I sat on the beach soaking up the sunshine and intermittently jumping into the water to cool off, I found myself thinking about how grateful I am to be able to take a weekend mostly "off" despite working for myself.

At a time in the very recent past, I wasn't able to relax in the same way over a long weekend because I always felt a nagging feeling that I "should" be working. Despite that fact that it's taken me almost 6 years to get to this place where I can take time off without feeling stressed about it, I'm finally here and am really loving it. [This is also pretty important as I prepare to take off for "maternity leave" late next month...]

So anyways, this weekend "off" got me thinking about what has enabled me to feel more relaxed on the weekends, which got me thinking about big life upgrades, changes, or "investments" that have created more space and relaxation in my life, which made me think I should share some of these things with you--all in once place--despite having mentioned many of these investments in posts (or podcast episodes) at one point or another.

Thus, here are 5 Life-Changing Investments That I've Made in the Past Year, all of which I *highly* recommend if you're looking for more space in your life:

1. Hiring Help {aka Sara!}: I think this one is obvious and I know I've mentioned it many times before, but because it's made the biggest impact on my life in the past year, I have to highlight it again here. Having someone else on my team--and not just anyone, someone SUPER capable, intelligent, and productive--has been more game-changing than I can begin to explain. Not only has Sara enabled me to feel less stressed because she shares the workload with me, she has also enabled me to take on more work and thus, increase my earning power; I crunched some numbers last week and I'm up over 10k where I was at this time last year! I know this has to due with having help.

So, for my fellow solopreneurs out there, I know it can be scary to have to pay someone when you're so used to having no personnel/contractor expenses on the books, but if you're totally overwhelmed and have room in your budget for even some part-time help, I can't recommend it enough.  

 2. Going to Therapy: While this one isn't really a financial investment for me since my insurance covers it, it does take a time investment (and emotional investment) that many busy people simply don't think they can make. But let me tell you (again, for the umpteenth time), it's worth it. I've written many posts about being a big proponent of therapy, but getting back into a regular groove--even though I only see my therapist every 2-3 weeks)--has really helped me to slow down and relax, and has been super helpful as I prepare for and think about what maternity leave will look like for me. 

3. Signing up for Freshbooks: At the end of last year, I finally decided to invest in an accounting program. I was invoicing enough clients and receiving payments from so many different sources and places that I knew I could no longer keep track of everything in Google spreadsheets, so I bit the bullet. OMG, signing up for Freshboooks was one of the best things I've ever done for my state of mind and business (seriously!). At any moment, I can see where I am [financially] for the month without having to do any weird calculations. All of my expenses and invoices are in one place. Sara and I can clock-in and clock-out when working on client projects and invoice from our timesheets. I also think that having a clear picture of my finances is another reason that I've already made so much more money this year than last year--because I'm aware of where I am financially and am able to make decisions accordingly. 

Fellow small business owners: I highly recommend you give it a try! {Here's a link to a free trial.}

4.  Hiring Cleaning People: While this change happened a bit more than a year ago, it has also made a pretty big impact on my life/state of mind. When we moved, Ben and I came to a mutual decision that the amount of money it costs to pay someone to do a thorough cleaning of our house is well worth it, considering the amount of time it would take us to do a similar deep clean. While it might not sound like it would be that life-changing, it is when you work from home. Now that someone else is keeping our house clean, I'm no longer distracted by the dust bunnies and dirty floors, and am not constantly reminded of all the things I'm falling behind on when I'm working.

Local? I can't recommend Clean Green enough! We love this eco-friendly biz SO much and have been thrilled with their work.  

5. Buying a King-Sized Mattress {from Casper}: Buying a king may be the single most amazing thing that Ben and I have *ever* done for ourselves as a couple. Seriously. And as a pregnant woman, business owner, and yoga teacher, there is nothing that affects my ability to be productive more than sleep. Since buying our new mattress a few months ago, I have slept more soundly and more comfortably than EVER before. I can't believe we shared that full (full!) for as long as we did. Yikes.

(Oh, and if you're interested in buying a Casper and want to save $50 on your purchase, use this link!)

What do you think? Have you made similar investments and found them to be equally life-changing? As I said, most of these changes do cost something upfront,  but often you have to spend money (or time) to make money, and I am here to tell you that each of these investments are 100% worth it.

Hope this gets your wheels turning!