the ultimate guide to self-investment
your self-worth IS your net-worth | fhg #57
I’ve come to realise that every habit and every decision you make either compounds or costs you. Deep for a Sunday I know, but bare with me.
Today, I want to help you start building assets out of your daily habits. To increase your overall ROI when it comes to you.
We’re both romanticising self-investing and turning it into a practical strategy. So instead of pouring time into things that don’t pay you back, you’re going to do it differently.
And honestly, most advice on “investing in yourself” can be vague, cute, and ultimately useless. It sounds like being told to drink more water, or just take a course.
We need to act with intention when it comes to growing our self-worth, which influences our net-worth, and being intentional can be doubly as important if you’re just getting financially literate, or you don’t actually have money to invest yet.
Because the way you invest your time is a huge lever you can pull to generate more actual wealth later in life.
So here’s a smarter approach: as a Financial Hot Girl, we want to build our self-investment strategy based on three buckets that help us Earn, Keep & Grow™ (an FHG micro-philosophy).
Let’s break them down and explain exactly why they’re important.
𝜗ৎ In this issue:
Invest to increase your earning potential
This is your income-driving capital. Skills, reputation, and visibility - all things that help you actually earn more money over time.
What this looks like:
Learn high-ROI skills: copywriting, selling, data analysis, coding, storytelling, negotiation
Build leverage: content, digital products, email list, brand equity
Get mentorship: targeted advice from someone 2 steps ahead
Practice exposure: public speaking, pitching, publishing your work (even if it’s cringey at first)
Why it matters:
The average UK pay rise is ~3.5% per year. In the US, it’s ~5.4%. One high-income skill or personal brand can 5x your income in 2 years. It’s the highest-yielding asset you own as it influences the way you earn for 70% of your life.
Invest to protect your energy, identity, and autonomy
This is the protection layer. It stops self-sabotage, burnout, and decision fatigue from draining your progress and ultimately your earning potential.
What this looks like:
Set boundaries around time, energy, and money (tracking transactions and budgeting = self-respect in action)
Build your personal operating system: routines, habits, digital tools
Work on nervous system regulation: walks (in nature), breath work, somatic therapy, meditation
Invest in therapy or coaching if you need to unlearn emotional debt
Why it matters:
Something important I’ve learned over the years is that under-earning is rarely about skill. It’s about avoidance, self-doubt, and staying in reactive mode. Protecting your peace is actually a financial strategy, but only if you take it seriously!
With this investment, remember that it’s a transaction that likely isn’t regular. For example, I’ve invested one-off amounts into coaching and therapy. I also know people who have non-negotiable contracts with their somatic teachers to stay regulated. It’s totally up to you.
Invest in compounding identity assets
Remember, this is a long game. Identity-based investments shape who you’re becoming.
What this looks like:
Read (and retain!) smart things. Highlight and summarise every Friday night. Start with:
The Psychology of Money
Deep Work
The Body Keeps the Score
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Lift weights. Strength improves confidence, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and self-discipline. Also…. your hips.
Practice being seen: content creation, thoughtful comments, asking questions.
Curate your inputs: audit who you follow, what you consume, and what you believe is “realistic”
Why it matters:
Confidence is a compounding asset. But self-trust is the real growth engine. The best investors are cultivating their identity intentionally by fuelling their engine.
How to structure your personal investment strategy
Here’s your Financial Hot Girl framework, and let’s give it a name that a business would: a Quarterly Self-Investment Plan (Q-SIP):
Pick 1 Earn skill to develop
Choose 1 Keep system to upgrade
Set 1 Grow routine to compound
Example:
Learn sales via a £29 masterclass
Practice negotiating 1 bill a month
Lift 3x a week for 12 weeks (confidence to sell)
Then, every quarter, review and check your ROI. Not in income yet, but in confidence, clarity, and consistency (this one’s the most important). Over time, the income will show itself.
What’s the cost of not doing this?
Simple: you pay in self-hate tax. The cost that compounds when you don’t have self-trust.
If you undercharge, procrastinate, or keep waiting to be ready, you are paying every. Single. Day… in missed income, missed confidence, missed life.
Investing in yourself is not a luxury.
It’s the most logical, long-term money move you’ll ever make.
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This newsletter and everything shared in it is to help you build a well-rounded, aspirational life and that includes money. I hope it was able to do that today 🫶
— Dev xo