Investing in Future You

There are two places you can see someone’s priorities:

1. Their calendar
2. Their checkbook

In other words, how you spend your time and your money.

Time and money are both precious resources. We have a limited amount of each at our disposal.

We have 2 options on how to use our time and our money:

1. We can spend them in ways that are pleasurable right now
2. We can invest them so that they produce a harvest in the future

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how I can invest in my role as a creator.

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I’ve been writing and podcasting for quite awhile now, but one area where I really want to grow is in video production. I’ve been doing my sermon sketchnote videos for awhile now and started a YouTube channel just so I had a place to put them, but I know there’s a lot more I can be doing with it.

So a few weeks ago, I joined the most recent cohort for Ali Abdal’s Part-Time YouTuber Academy. It’s a pretty major investment, but it’s been a really great experience and I am learning a ton about making good YouTube videos.

(By the way, if you have any suggestions for videos you’d like to see me make, please hit reply and let me know!)

I also recognized that writing is at the heart of everything I do creatively, and I want to find a writing groove again. I started poking around and came across a program called Ship 30 for 30, an online writing class with the goal of getting you to publish something short online every day for 30 days. The program structure clicked with me, so I signed up for the April cohort – meaning the same week that the Part-Time YouTuber Academy wraps off, I will begin onboarding week of Ship 30 for 30.

(BTW, if you’d like to join me, here’s a link to sign up. Full disclosure: this is an affiliate link, and using it to sign up helps me out – but feel free to use the previous link and go to the website instead if you prefer 🙂)

This is another pretty major investment, especially for a side gig. And I could honestly use a little bit of a break in-between. I wrestled with asking myself, “Do I really want to go straight from one intense online program to another, while still getting my feet under me at the day job at the same time?”

But the answer in my heart is, “Yes, I absolutely do.”

Look, I’m big advocate for margin. I actually force myself to say “no” to a previous commitment every quarter when I do my Personal Retreats. But there comes a time when the path forward is clear is that’s the time to get to work.

And while I feel a little bit like I’m drinking from the firehose, I am loving every minute of it.

Steve Jobs once said:

That’s how I feel right now. The focus on accelerated learning has created a ton of motivation for me. And the catalyst has been recommitting to invest in myself.

I encourage you to find something you feel is worthwhile for future you and invest in it. It doesn’t have to be an online course, but find something that challenges you and pushes you outside your comfort zone.

That’s where the growth happens.

Yes, you might be bad for awhile. It will take some time before you really see any growth. But when you invest, you are playing the long game. Stay consistent, and the results will come.

Keep going and keep growing,

— Mike Schmitz

Recent podcast episodes

​Focused Episode #148: Savoring the Moment, with Chris Bailey​

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Chris Bailey is back to talk about his dopamine fast, the art of savoring, and avoiding the productivity racket.

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​Bookworm Episode #140: Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer​

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Today’s author promises to help us uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques. Join Joe & I as we fight our own sense overwhelm with mindfulness and curiosity.

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​The Intentional Family Episode #52: Revisting Rest​

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Rachel & I dive deeper on the topic of rest. We talk about the importance of trust, choosing joy in the journey, and releasing the burdens you were never meant to carry.

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This Week’s Sermon Sketchnotes video

(Almost) every Sunday, I take sketchnotes of my Pastor’s sermon and post them to my website. Here’s my sketchnote from March 27th, 2022.

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