If You’re in Your 20s, Here are 5 High-yield Places to Invest In

A person’s twenties has been described as the defining decade; the decade where your actions and choices set the pace for the kind of life you’ll live.

Sadly, for a lot of people, it’s also the most confusing decade. Owing to a combination of factors, many young people live through their twenties confused and directionless. That decade is both emotionally taxing and financially draining, chiefly because you’ve never been an adult before, it’s your first taste at it and that’s okay!

Thankfully, the New Year offers a fresh start. Here are 5 smart, high-yield places to invest your time, energy and focus in this year.

1. Knowledge and Skills

In Steven Bartlett words, (owner of the Diary of a CEO franchise) knowledge is the most high-yield investment you can ever make. The better you know, and apply, the more your reputation and resources compound. Think of it as having buckets at a tap; the knowledge bucket is the first and most important bucket you can fill, and it automatically fills the other buckets.

Knowledge > Skills > Network > Resources > Reputation.

If you’re not sure where to start, invest in:

• Self Awareness 
• Artificial Intelligence
• Communication Skills
• Industry Knowledge, etc.

Remember, input determines output so, whatever you consume is what you will exhibit.

2.  Visibility

I used to think I needed to know so much before I could build thought leadership, but guess what?  That’s not true!

Documenting your learning experience, and showing the results of the experiments you try also count. It helps you build a community of people who are on a similar journey with you. So, don’t just consume, apply and produce too. Build a recognizable brand, and don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself when change happens.

“If you want to master a skill, you must commit to teaching it.”

3.  Emergency Fund

Do you have a peace-of-mind fund? Or is it just vibes?

Experts recommend saving at least 3-6 months of your living expenses for emergencies.

It’s true, nobody likes emergencies, especially sad ones, and we all pray never to need an emergency fund, but they happen. And if one does happen – hopefully it doesn’t – you need to be covered. Invest in building one.

4. Health and Wellness

My mom would always say ‘eat your food as medicine so you won’t have to eat medicine as food’.

Beyond food, exercise is a major precursor to success. It helps you get what I call your daily DOSE: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphin, which are feel-good hormones that help you get stuff done.

You don’t even have to be a gym rat and it’s not about aesthetics. Even 20 minutes of daily high intensity movement makes a difference. There’s a ton of studies on the benefits of exercise; Read and act accordingly.

5. Relationships

I wanted to say network but that would be cliché.

Think of relationships from a value-first perspective. What shared values do you have with the people you’re connecting with? It shouldn’t be transactional, it should be a mutual, genuine connection.

Don’t only show up when you need something, show up because you genuinely care about their work. For example, I have an older friend who has consistently funded an impact project in education for six years; I show up every year because his work really inspires me. But guess what? There’s a two-way bridge, without transactions.

That’s the kind of relationship worth building!

Bonus: Invest in a global career. Apply to international opportunities, internships, scholarships. Visit websites like opportunitydesk or opportunities for Africans to access them.

The world is a global village and you’re a global citizen. Act like one.

Don’t worry; I know you’d do the same for me. You’re welcome!

Zainab ADEROUNMU A. W. is a First Class graduate of English Language and the Overall Best Graduating Student from the Lagos State University, Lagos Nigeria. She’s a professional Master of Ceremonies, known as The Hijabi Compere , a public speaking coach and Communications Professional. She is currently a Youth advisor to the European Union where she doubles as the Spokesperson and Head of Communications & PR for the Youth Sounding Board.