Читать книгу Ditch. Dare. Do! - William Arruda - Страница 10

If, despite our best efforts to make Ditch. Dare. Do! fit your busy life, you’re starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, take a breath; you’re not alone. The idea that significant “branding time” is required each day prevents many executives from doing anything to manage their career. It’s just another thing piled high on a mountain of commitments. But we have a solution!

William has developed a revolutionary concept: Just nine strategic minutes each day doing small but meaningful actions is all you need to manage your brand and advance your career. He recently presented his “Nine-Minute Brand Plan” in a white paper produced for LinkedIn, and overworked, double-booked, never-a-spare-moment professionals (and the media) took notice.

Here’s why: We all desperately want to manage our careers, but the endeavor feels too complex and time-consuming to break into small actions. So we don’t do anything, and we feel frustrated and guilty about it. We keep putting it off until we have time. And usually we don’t have time until we lose a job or a promotion. Then our career becomes the priority that captures our time and attention.

Yet, consider this: little things add up. Committing to nine minutes every workday amounts to nearly 40 hours a year of steadfast focus on moving your brand forward. That’s the equivalent of taking off a full week of work (or using a whole week of vacation) to invest time in career development—something most of us will never do. But each of us can invest nine minutes a day.

As you use the Go-time Grid action plan worksheets to record the ditches, dares, do’s, and sparks most valuable to you, assign them a priority, and identify a date by which you plan to complete them. Then break them into smaller tasks that can be completed in nine minutes and schedule (at least) one every day.

If you’re tempted to skip days, remember, doing this for a year is like spending an entire week focused on the single most important thing that will advance your career and happiness—the brand called YOU. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth or working out—a non-negotiable commitment to your brand’s health.

For additional ideas on using your nine minutes, you can join the conversation at the Nine Minutes a Day LinkedIn group.

Can you spare nine minutes a day to be influential, indispensable, and incredibly happy at work?