Create Space for the Long Road

I sometimes finish productive days of work, but still think “Where did my day go?”?It certainly feels good to knock out a long line of tasks on your to-do list, especially on days I receive a lot of incoming requests, but often that checklist ‘refreshes’ itself within the span of the next day.?What I would refer to as “heads-down productivity” is celebrated in our work culture, and it’s fantastic to be labeled as a ‘go-to’ coworker. ?The ability to excel at your job is always step #1 in moving up and ahead in your career. In my experience, however, this by itself rarely leads to ladder-climbing success (the exception is when you are working for yourself). ??There is another important piece of the puzzle that needs to be mixed in. ?Reserving time to dedicate towards your long-term goals has an even greater impact on your future.?This takes a bit of dedication, as you may not see success materialize for years after starting down this road.

(I’m not necessarily discussing scheduling and completing large projects, although those are also a very valuable way to spend your time. I’m referring to tasks that build you up to your next career level.)

“Where do you want to be in 5 years?” This clichéd phrase may sound familiar.?It can be a very difficult question to answer on the spot but it's certainly important to know during the course of your career.?The answer isn’t always ‘I want my boss’s job’.?Maybe you want to be in management, but maybe you want to be strong technician.?Perhaps you want to learn a specialization within your company that in-turn will make you an extremely valuable employee. ?There are endless replies to the question, and if you feel enthusiastic about any of them, those are the right answers.?The next question you’ll need to ask is “How will I get there?” This could range from independently developing a new software solution, writing a book, attending leadership workshops, or networking with professionals inside or outside of your field. ?It’s up to you to begin mapping out and acting on that process.?And this development is a slow one.?Dorie Clark, in her book The Long Game, states that you may spend up to 2-3 years of your life on these career-enhancing tasks just to reach a point where you begin to be noticed.?That can feel like a long time!?Social media may give the impression that success comes overnight but that’s hardly the case for most of us.?A more specific follow-up question to ask yourself is: ?If this is a 5-year goal, what are you going to do for the next 2-3 years to start building that bridge to your destination?

Now we need to set aside time to work on these valuable bridge-building self-assignments.?“Without proactive, thoughtful timelines, we’re probably living in reaction to deadlines”.? In Henry J. Evans’ book Winning With Accountability, he states we need to work with timelines instead of deadlines.?The difference between those two terms is subtle yet important. ?So many activities in our life have deadlines (a moment when a task or action needs to be completed).?Your projects have a deadline, paying your bills on time is a deadline, and the last day you can buy something off eBay which is guaranteed to show up before Christmas is a deadline.?A timeline is the space you dedicate to working on a meaningful undertaking. ?It’s an entirely preemptive approach.?For example, if you know a project will take 20 hours to complete, you would schedule 4 separate 5-hour blocks on your calendar ahead of time, where you can be free from interruption. ?This is operating with timelines.??It’s important to make space on your calendar to focus on your long-term goals to avoid getting stuck in an endless loop of completing day-to-day tasks.?It takes some proactive effort to make this time for yourself.?I really mean that – it’s not easy to set aside time, and it’s not easy to shift your mindset to calm and careful planning when it feels like the world needs more from you at this very moment!?For most of us there are no shortage of new problems to solve during the day.?My example at the beginning of the article is a real one, and one I participate in over and over.?It’s a cycle and it’s hard to break.

Continue to focus on the future. ?Don’t fall into the trap of hoping short-term efforts lead to overnight success. Today, you could start learning a new skillset from a colleague in a different department.?Gaining organizational knowledge will set you apart as a leader. Continue to write if that’s your passion! Continue to meet and interact with people.?The next hand you shake at a networking event may be the person who refers you for your promotion in 5 years.?Create the space you need and keep your eyes down the road!