Think As Inc

INVEST YOUR TIME

January 20, 2010 on 6:04 pm | In career coaching, life coaching | No Comments

Each one of us, from the CEO to the unemployed, has 24 hours per day to invest.  If time is spent haphazardly, then it is easily squandered.  A few hours per day in front of the TV equates to a part-time job watching TV.  If you’re not proactively making choices about what to do with your time, it slips away unnoticed.  One way to become more conscious of your time investment is to constantly ask yourself what you want from your time.

How much time do you want to invest on your career versus other priorities?  You may have relationships, community/ religious activities, personal interests, and other priorities than just career.  How high does your career rank on your list?  Is the time you invest on your career consistent with how valuable you say your career is to you?

How much time do you want to invest in your current career versus your future prospects?  You always need to do both because living in the moment and preparing for the future are both important.  However, if you’re unhappy where you are, you might want to do just enough to get a good reference and focus more on your next move.  If you’re in your target career, then you want to excel where you are.  How much time are you investing on prospects?  Is this consistent with your current satisfaction level?

How do you want your time to be split between doing your job, networking for future opportunities, developing your skills, and enhancing your professional image?  What area is a strength, a weakness, a fear?  Are you touching each area or neglecting one?  Before you collapse in front of the TV after a hard day’s work, ask yourself if you’d rather invest that time in one of the above.