DECIDE WHAT DESERVES YOUR ENERGYDon't MissEditors PickHuman Resources by Bernard Taiwo - May 13, 20190 Share Share on Facebook Share Share on TwitterTweet Share on Pinterest Share Share on LinkedIn Share Share on Digg Share Photo by Samuel Zeller on UnsplashWith so many fascinating opportunities before you each day, how do you decide which are for you? Start by asking yourself these nine questions to help you judge whether an action is appropriate for you. 1. Does this earn a living for me? In a material world, we all have responsibilities that cannot be ignored.2. Can I learn from this? Can I grow as a human being by doing this particular piece of work? Will I acquire new skills and insights?3. Is it useful? Who is depending on me to do this and why? Sooner or later any piece of useful work involves us with other people. Will this action bring me together with people who are worthwhile?4. Will others benefit? This can be an overriding consideration for many activities.5. Will I ever have a chance to do this again? Some opportunities are a once-in-a-life deal. Is this one of them? Or am I pretending it is because I want to do it so badly?See also HOW INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES IMPACT ON NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT6. Am I doing this because I’m the right person or because no one else will do it? What would happen if I didn’t do it? Am I really the one person for the job or this can be delegated?7. What will I have to put on hold to do this? What is the tradeoff? How will it affect my immediate and future life? What sacrifices will I and those around me have to make?8. Am I being blackmailed? Are any of my activities the result of “emotional blackmail”? (Blackmail is a contract between two people or even two groups. It can be clearly stated or extremely subtle, but only works when both agree to play. We should not accept emotional blackmail from others, just as we should not try to blackmail them ourselves. Often society provides us with only a vague line between good manners and being taken advantage of, between being a fair and upright person and being a sucker. It’s up to us to make the line clear and strong, both for ourselves and others.)See also SHAMEFUL STATE OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA9. Can I have fun? Ultimately, if I don’t have to do it and I can’t enjoy at least some aspect of it, then it’s probably not worth doing. HIGH OR LOW? When you invest your time, you want to invest it in high-return projects. The lists below provide a profile of the activities with the potential for the highest return. CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH-PAYOFF ACTIVITIES Directly related to my goalsMight not be pleasantTend to involve riskCan’t be delegatedImportant CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-PAYOFF ACTIVITIESNot related to my goalsComfortable to doNo risk involvedRoutineNon creative, anyone can do itTrivialInvesting your time and energy is like investing your money. You may risk it and lose it. But risk spells the difference between getting what you want and sitting on the sidelines, between your potential and your performance. Whenever you make a proactive decision about which activities deserve your energy, you take the sting out of the most arduous and burdensome ones. It’s what you want to be doing, and you are clear about why. Then you can approach your tasks as worthy of your fullest attention and enthusiasm. What are the chances that people who see the activity as boring, tedious, or beneath them will make a powerful difference? And what are the chances that people with a passionate, positive vision of what they are doing will fail to make a difference? That’s you!See also STEPS TO DEVELOPING A CORPORATE CULTURE THAT WORKS Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInWhatsAppSkypeTumblrMorePrintPinterestTelegramRedditPocketRelatedShare Share on Facebook Share Share on TwitterTweet Share on Pinterest Share Share on LinkedIn Share Share on Digg Share