Increasing Your ROI

All requests are not equal; all customers or clients are not equal; all to-do-list tasks are not equal; all work responsibilities are not equal. You can do fifty things today and get little, if any, return on your investment for having done them. Or you can do one or two things which have a large return.

You possess personal capital. It is comprised of your time, effort, knowledge and skills. Investing that capital wisely yields a return on your investment. The higher your return on investment (your ROI), the more profit you earn. Profit in this context yields discretionary endeavors. And discretionary endeavors tap into the most powerful thing you can do to create career results - initiative.

There are hundreds of books filled with an equal number of approaches to managing your tasks and time. Use whatever works for you. But as you do, keep your ROI in mind. Every day you invest your capital. Sometimes you invest it wisely, sometimes foolishly, sometime neutrally. The better investments you make, over time, the better your returns will be, over time. Think long-term ROI.

Here are three of my personal ROI strategies:

1. Prioritize people over tasks. Family or staff or a boss asking for something, regardless of what, should go to the top. Requests from your key people list should be met immediately, if possible, with a sense of urgency. These are the people that pay you the biggest dividends (love, support and economic well being) so do the requests from this group first and you will build equity for the long-term. When you hit life's potholes, that equity will help carry you through.

2. Work smart and fast. If you're slow on the computer, increase your skills. If you pace yourself or spread your work out through the day, don't. If you don't have time to train someone to help you, make the time. The more you can leverage yourself and the more work that you produce, the more valuable an asset you become. Invest in yourself.

3. Choose making progress over being busy. Spend a day answering emails, reading mail, completing miscellaneous and unimportant tasks, and at the end of the day you're no further along on your important work than when you started. Sure, those recurring tasks need to be done, too. But choose first to make progress, then do the recurring tasks, not the other way around or you'll find there's no time left for the big stuff that offers a better return on your investment.

Want to be winning at working? Invest your personal capital wisely and you'll find your ROI compounding year after year and your career stock rising.

(c) 2005 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at http://www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor.

Visit http://www.nanrussell.com or contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.

---

Ending Procrastination: A New Look at the Old Demon

Do you believe that the best way to deal with... Read More

Hows YOUR Productivity?

Microsoft wanted to know how individuals around the world were... Read More

Desktop Management Boosts Productivity

Many of us spend long hours at our desk. To... Read More

Too Many Unfinished Projects?

Q. I have several projects going at once -- but... Read More

Avoid 7 Time and Life-Robbing Mistakes and See Your Productivity Soar

41 practical and quick ways to get on top of... Read More

Time Management - How To Get More Done In A Day?

Everyday, in life, we are bombarded with 101 tasks that... Read More

Scheduling Productive Days - Dont Interrupt, Im Pouring Concrete

Almost everyone in business knows the balancing act between the... Read More

Your Most Important Appointment

An appointment is simply a mutual agreement to meet with... Read More

Low Tech Time Management

A simple kitchen gadget is transforming my life. I don't... Read More

Everythings Blurry Except For You

Riding the subway home yesterday, my typically silent car was... Read More

Time Management is Cause Control

Recently I've experienced a barrage of time wasters. Everything you... Read More

Effective Time Management Techniques

TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More

Time Management Is Key

Having a home based business can be overwhelming. When you... Read More

Oh, My Goodness! Where Has the Time Gone?

It's 6:00 a.m. I'm awake. I'm pumped! I'm ready to... Read More

Discover Your Procrastination Personality

Determine Your Procrastination PersonalityBrook Noel is the author of The... Read More

Taking Time Off For Your Business

As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you... Read More

Isn?t It Time For You?

Does it seem like there is never enough time in... Read More

Being Busy Does Not Equal Being Productive

How many people do you know who are so busy... Read More

Time Management: How To Manage Your Time So Your Home Business Will Flourish

If you operate any kind of home business, you must... Read More

Will Your Epilogue Be ? I Got All My Emails Done?

Work life balance is the new Holy Grail; that search... Read More

Time Management is Life Management

Many of the clients I work with in success coaching... Read More

Career Redesign Tools For Work-Life Balance

Partnering with the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the... Read More

Time Management - Honor Your Time and Energy

Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts... Read More

Reading -- 10 Ways to Find The Time

Why Read?It's been said that there are three kinds of... Read More

Effective Email and Verses Voicemail

Time management consultant Stephen Young claims that the average time... Read More

Work, Work, Work: Making Each Moment Count

Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More

Organize Your Time

Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More

Are You Watching Too Much TV?

Many folks tell me that they just don't have time... Read More

Hey, Free Agent, Did You Eat Your Breakfast Today?

And when you finally sat down to eat breakfast, was... Read More

What To Do When Youre Short On Time And Long On Need!

Everyday life can present us with opportunities to make us... Read More

Time Management - Working Smarter at Work

Let's look at your time management skills. Most of us... Read More

The Keepers of Time

I give presentations on organizational skill building as it relates... Read More

It?s Not The Same Old Routine

We are constantly inundated with routine (often boring!) tasks around... Read More