In this past week, I’ve noticed more how people are with their time. I’ve been running a cynical joke in my head about the difference between graduate students and “real world” people: graduate students think their time is so valuable that they cannot make it to a mentor meeting or what-have-you. “Real world” people, i.e., other businesspeople, meanwhile will make the time for important connections….even informational interviews.
I say this as being cynical because I notice how some of my peers have acted with some invitations. Yes, time is money, but would you really turn down a valuable connection’s invitation for lunch? Dinner? With the excuse of “I’ve been SO busy.”
Do you think that your time is that much more valuable than your connection’s time?
I had sent out an email to a colleague earlier this week asking to see if this person had time to meet this summer for lunch or coffee or whatnot. This person replied saying the same thing as above: “I’m too busy.”
I understand that people have packed schedules. I have a crazy schedule, too. Thank goodness for Google Calendar; it keeps all my appointments, engagements in order. I’ve had scheduling issues with a few of my connections, but we have volleyed emails back and forth to find a time that will work for both of us. THIS is how you should handle time issues: don’t just walk away and say “I’m TOO BUSY” and make the other person feel like their time is not valuable. Work out a time to meet with that person, even if you believe you will not do business with them in the future.
I find that many people don’t realize the power of connections. Say “no” to one person, and you could be closing the door on many opportunities. I don’t like being treated like a commodity, so I value all the connections I make, no matter big or small. People are … human. We’re not commodities. So don’t treat your connections, colleagues, etc. as if they’re commodities.
One reply on “Time & Priorities”
We might say “time is money,” but money itself is just one semi-accurate way for us to conceptualize limited resources.
The biggest struggle for me since becoming a “working stiff” two years ago has been finding a sustainable work/life balance. I want to live and work my passions, so “living for the weekend” and being constantly “too busy” for new opportunities in life simply won’t cut it. But I have to be very conscious about keeping stuff in perspective, because for me the stuff that keeps me “busy” is really the stuff that distracts me from what’s actually important in life. It’s an exercise in mindfulness more than anything.
Another thought: I’ve noticed all my friends have very different approaches to how they plan activities. I have some friends that hate the logistics of scheduling things, and others who seem to completely lack the ability to be spontaneous. I have mental lists in my head of which friends need to know everything in advance, which ones will get frustrated with too many logistics, and which ones are just down to do whatever as long as it means getting time with people they care about. Now I find myself speaking different “languages” to make plans with these people, and stressing a lot less over the details.