Back in the days that I was working a little bit in television, one staple of every newscast was the day’s stock market report. Each day, every report would let you know what had just happened on Wall Street.

Yet, while you might be able to decide the stocks or funds in which you would invest, seldom would you have any control over what those companies did that would make your money expand or contract.

This past week, I spent time in Atlanta at the “Take the Stage” event with my friends, Suzanne Evans and Larry Winget.

• There, I saw first-hand committed individuals who were making an investment they could have some control over — for they were underwriting themselves.

When I was a student at Franklin College in Indiana, I couldn’t help but notice a quote from Benjamin Franklin that was strategically positioned on just about everything printed by the school: “An investment in knowledge always pays the highest dividends.”

Some of the people in the audience where I spoke this week will obtain significant returns on their investment in knowledge. Others will not achieve anything.

• The primary reason is because not only do they control their investment — they also control the actions they will take based on the knowledge they have obtained.

Several writers have observed that there are infinitely more “wannabe” authors than published ones. It’s not just a function of talent. It’s because…writers write. The oft-cited line is that the way you become an author is simply “put the seat of your pants in the seat of your chair.” In other words — to borrow from Nike — you just do it.

Please don’t misunderstand: you should have a well-balanced portfolio and diversity in your investments. I’m not suggesting you should invest in yourself…and nothing else.

• Yet, I also do not believe it can be overstated that when you invest in yourself, the dividends are not merely financial. There are a myriad of benefits to personal and professional growth.

As we enter the final stretch for the year — and the decade — now might be a good time to look at your self-investment.

And, it’s also a great time to examine if you are taking the action required to make it generate significant returns.

• One more thing: it’s been “Ultimate Customer Experience ® Week” on my podcast, PROJECT DISTINCT! We’ve briefly reviewed the Five Steps to the Ultimate Customer Experience from my forthcoming book, “The Ultimate Customer Experience” that has been totally revamped, rewritten, and rebooted. If you didn’t catch this week’s episodes, please visit: https://ProjectDistinct.com –

• In the next few weeks, we will be sharing how YOU can get your complimentary copy of the book — just for listening to the podcast and subscribing to my blog. It’s part of how we hope to create a “UCE” for YOU!