All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are not equal; all to-do-list tasks are not equal; all work responsibilities are not equal. You can do fifty things today and get little, if any, return on your investment for having done them. Or you can do one or two things which have a large return.
You possess personal capital. It is comprised of your time, effort, knowledge and skills. Investing that capital wisely yields a return on your investment. The higher your return on investment (your ROI), the more profit you earn. Profit in this context yields discretionary endeavors. And discretionary endeavors tap into the most powerful thing you can do to create career results - initiative.
There are hundreds of books filled with an equal number of approaches to managing your tasks and time. Use whatever works for you. But as you do, keep your ROI in mind. Every day you invest your capital. Sometimes you invest it wisely, sometimes foolishly, sometime neutrally. The better investments you make, over time, the better your returns will be, over time. Think long-term ROI.
Here are three of my personal ROI strategies:
1. Prioritize people over tasks. Family or staff or a boss asking for something, regardless of what, should go to the top. Requests from your key people list should be met immediately, if possible, with a sense of urgency. These are the people that pay you the biggest dividends (love, support and economic well being) so do the requests from this group first and you will build equity for the long-term. When you hit life's potholes, that equity will help carry you through.
2. Work smart and fast. If you're slow on the computer, increase your skills. If you pace yourself or spread your work out through the day, don't. If you don't have time to train someone to help you, make the time. The more you can leverage yourself and the more work that you produce, the more valuable an asset you become. Invest in yourself.
3. Choose making progress over being busy. Spend a day answering emails, reading mail, completing miscellaneous and unimportant tasks, and at the end of the day you're no further along on your important work than when you started. Sure, those recurring tasks need to be done, too. But choose first to make progress, then do the recurring tasks, not the other way around or you'll find there's no time left for the big stuff that offers a better return on your investment.
Want to be winning at working? Invest your personal capital wisely and you'll find your ROI compounding year after year and your career stock rising.
(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.
Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at http://www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor.
Visit http://www.winningatworking.com or contact Nan at http://www.winningatworking.com.
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..One of the most common complaints that small business owners... Read More
Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More
We all face decisions that involve doing things that affect... Read More
Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More
* spreading yourself too thinTaking on too many things at... Read More
We all know the harmful effects of overwork. People get... Read More
How much time do you spend on Mastering Your Time?... Read More
Last week I had the privilege of spending some quality... Read More
"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow... Read More
Recently I was working with a new client who had... Read More
When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More
As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More
At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More
As each day passes, and more and more things need... Read More
As a home-based, self-employed woman, mundane tasks can be as... Read More
In most organizations, meetings are often the biggest time-wasters. With... Read More
My job in Chicago began with three months of probation.I... Read More
Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More
To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More
If you operate any kind of home business, you must... Read More
One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools... Read More
Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
If you're like most people, you want to get better... Read More
Once you have completed your day you can boost your... Read More
Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More
Despite the best of intentions, most of us don't use... Read More
It is common knowledge that creating and living according to... Read More
How many times have you remarked to someone that there... Read More
"TIME CANNOT BE 'MANAGED.' THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF TIME MANAGEMENT... Read More
In most organizations, meetings are often the biggest time-wasters. With... Read More
Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More
One of the tried and true organization and time-management tools... Read More
Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More
Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More
Get a grip. Is it possible to manage time? Can... Read More
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More
People always seem to be in such a hurry, everywhere... Read More
We all know the harmful effects of overwork. People get... Read More
How can you get an extra hour out of each... Read More
* If you were paying you to prioritise emails over... Read More
Today, it is hard to open an e-mail newsletter, a... Read More
What does it mean to practice self care? It's creating... Read More
When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More
When I was small, I have never considered the importance... Read More
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
One of the most challenging situations people face when planning... Read More
The techies could do a lot more to make our... Read More
Time Management |