What is your time worth?

Your time is a currency—it has value and it’s a limited resource. But, unlike money, you can’t make more. When you start to think of your time this way, you’ll find you become much more purposeful with how its spent. I treat every second of time as a precious commodity. I protect it, spend it wisely, and appreciate its value—personally and professionally.

When considering my work week, here is how I am maximize my time: 

1. Determine your core values: Identifying your core values not only helps you make better career choices, it also contributes to your overall happiness (for more thoughts on this, check out my article, “There’s No Such Thing as a Dream Job”). I prioritize family and health with a strong focus on finding a right fit job.
2. Set daily goals: Setting daily goals helps me prioritize what is most important and keeps me focused so I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
3. Create a schedule: Even though I’m currently unemployed, I’ve started treating my Mondays through Fridays as a work week. I set an alarm, write out my goals for the day, and plug them into my schedule. 

5:30am Wake up and work out, post to LinkedIn (time permitting)

7:00am Baby feeding time! Clean and prep bottles for the day, morning walk, play time

8:30am Finish work out (if baby interrupted), take shower, article writing (if time)

10:00am Baby feeding time, bath, play time

11:30am Respond to emails and LinkedIn messages, article writing (*I highly recommend batch email checking to stay focused!)

1:00pm Baby feeding time, try to take care of some household items, play time

2:30pm Project time (updating website, LinkedIn certifications, rewriting resume, etc), any pop-up items, finish writing, read or professional development

3:30pm Baby feeding time

5:00pm Start making dinner/switch to family time mode

6:00pm Baby feeding time, dinner, family walk

It’s easy to let small demands steal away your time, that’s why it’s important to be purposeful or you will find that it slips away. Every activity that demands your time either contributes to your goals (an investment of your time) or distracts from those goals (an opportunity cost).

What is your time worth? Are you investing your most valuable resource in ways that matter to you? In ways that return dividends (to really stretch the metaphor to its limit)? 

Don’t undervalue your time. It is the most important asset you have. So how will you spend it?

Special note: This schedule is based on my current situation—which includes being a full-time parent. My husband has already returned to work, so I am picking up a majority of the parenting responsibilities during the week. However, as an equitable, co-parenting family, I think it’s important to point out that the division of labor will be spread out more evenly once I return to work.