How much are you spending?
I've been hearing myself say this over and over in coaching sessions and in workshops so I thought I'd share it with you as well! In our personal life, as well as in our work life, we have a variety of resources from which to draw. We can really boil these resources down into three specific categories:
- Money
- Expertise and skill
- Time
Money. We can always generate more money. We can work harder, create new revenue streams, attract a new donor or write another grant.
Expertise and skill. We can easily access more skill, expertise or knowledge. We can hire new talent, engage a consultant, provide professional development or watch a how-to video on line.
Both money and expertise are renewable resources. But the one resource that is never renewable is time.
Time. Once time is spent, it is gone forever, making it our most valuable resource. Does this surprise you? Well, shockingly it is also the resource we focus on the least when we are trying to improve business or personal outcomes.
Here are the key, and often unnoticed places, that time slips away:
- Conflict, confusion and chaos - also known as the drama caused by unclear communication and unspoken expectations.
- Inability to set boundaries - also known as the inability to say what you want and mean what you say.
- Anger and resentment - also known as fear of discomfort. Instead of welcoming the discomfort that comes with growth and change, you continue to live or work out of alignment with your values or purpose.
- Foregoing balance - also known as working harder not smarter. Those who take time to rest, breathe, and rejuvenate actually increase clarity, problem solving ability and creativity.
- Getting triggered - also known as lack of self-awareness. When we don't have a clear understanding of how we react under stress or tension, we tend to repeat unhealthy and unproductive patterns.
So, how are you choosing to spend your most valuable and non-renewable resources? Are you ready to take a look at where time may be slipping away and take steps to not only patch the holes, but actually change the way you view and manage it?
Give me a call or send me an email if time is one of the resources you would like to see you or your staff harness in 2016.