Every day we decide what we’ll do and where we’ll expend our time and energy. I call it ROIT. Return On Invested Time. You’ve heard of ROI, Return on Investment, that usually means investing money. Time is our most precious resource. Don’t you agree that we should carefully consider ROIT at least as much as ROI, maybe even more?
Time and energy
Everything you do is an investment of time and energy. These questions can help you decide where and how to invest your time and energy:
Is it worth my time? What will I get out of it?
Does this give me energy or will it cost me energy?
What are the benefits of putting my time and energy into this?
Personal & Business
These questions can be applied to our personal and business life. For example, some days working out gives me energy and other days it costs me energy. In business, we have to clearly define our goals to decide on a short term pain for long term gain. In the short term it may be inconvenient to renovate the office or move; in the long term it could mean that the office operates more effectively and has greater productivity capacity that will lead to more profits.
Procrastinating Isn’t Always Bad
There’s a lot to be said for not procrastinating and putting things off. On the other hand, sometimes your energy is better invested in something else. When you have several options that all give you energy, you’ll need to prioritize their importance so that you know which to do first.
Eliminate the Energy Suckers
Try to eliminate everything and anything that sucks the life energy out of you. Ask questions: Is doing this absolutely necessary? Does it need to be done by me? Do I need to do it as often as I do it? Social media posting is a good example. It may need to be done for your business. Can it be done by someone else and is posting 7 times a day really necessary and beneficial?
Meetings & Networking
Workshops, meetings, networking events are probably the best place to apply the ROIT questions. Have you ever gotten home after a workshop, meeting or networking event and said: “That was a waste of time.”? Plan your meetings and your networking interactions to make it worth your time and energy.
It’s Up to You
It’s up to you to set the intent, tone, and energy level for every interaction you have. For every interaction get as clear as possible about the outcome you desire. Whether you attend or host a workshop, meeting or event be clear about your intent. See Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA
Direct Influence
Where you invest your time and energy has a direct influence on your emotions, your physical body, your mental state and your spiritual essence. Trust your inner guidance and your intuition to help you to decide your ROIT – Return On Invested Time.