| Time is Life | August 1st, 2006 |
Economy is a study of scarcity, which defines value. Here we focus on time, among the most scarce commodities. As someone who did a lot during his youth, I now think it criminal to waste, or not getting the optimal return with this commodity.
Like good investors, managers allocate their time carefully and purposefully. The general concept is simply return of investment.
The concept of return implies that resources will be transformed into something else, hopefully more valuable. If the input is time, then purpose defines the outcome. Purposes link the outcome with rationality. Without purpose, the return is not predictable.
The majority of people never gave this a serious thought.
And there is nothing wrong with this blissful life-style. Lives do not need to be purposeful to be happy. Spontaneity and serendipity can be fulfilling and and even more enjoyable.
Then we have dreamers. They fantasize while commuting and talk about grandeur plans, particularly after few drinks. Deep in their minds, they never really expect to pull it through.
Managers cannot be either. Manaagers are accountable for achieving planned objectives.
Why would you, a manager, have plans for everything at work, but not your life or career?
Are there purposes? Is the plan realistic? Yes? You are better than 90 percentile. Come talk to me. I can help you. I specialize in execution — the art of refining the plans, aligning the resources, and a bit magic, to reach goals.
Wait! Read my standard recipe as prework.
Earlier in your managerial career, the emphasis of your time shoudl be on fundamental skill improvements. First- and second-line managers are in an Olympic-style competition. The better ones move up to the next level and race with others at least as good. The primary use of your time and energy should be on bettering yourself, in terms of managerial skills. It is wasteful to worry about politics, other players' training programs, coach's favorite pupils, etc. If you can outrun your peers, you will be tapped on the next round.
Skills move you upward. Find the environment that you can learn the fastest. It is your life and career. You can blame it on whomever and whatever and it does not matter. If you don't train yourself hard, others simply leave you behind. An athlete can complain on having a bad coach, substandard training facility, or the bad equipment. None of those complaints will win him or her the gold medal. Just save it. Yes, life is not fair, but your time is better spent not worrying about it.
What are the goals? Advancements in career, financial rewards, meaningfulness of work, recognition and appreciations from others, etc. are all good ones. Which ones are yours to pursue. Put them in priority order.
One's value system is peronal and individualized. Good managers set his or her objectives aligned with the value system. Pursue what you want. Don't pursue what you don't.
This simple concept is, in fact, rarely practiced. For curious reasons, wasteful, or even destructive, paths frequently ensue along people's lives. People spent years working on something just because they are fashionable. People insist on behavior pattern for simplistic belief and no regard to the implicit trade-offs. (“I hate commute, but I must live on the coast-side that is 3 hours of driving away.”) Lack of foresight, vision, guidance on the right objectives, and confusion between short- and long-term benefits are the usual reasons.
On a piece of paper written down these prority and objectives, go to one of those you trust and respect and ask them for honest feedbacks. Are they really worth pursuing? Are you sure they are really what you want? What are the realistic timing?
Live purposefully. Life is how time is spent.