A time to plan and a time to execute

My thoughts lately have been running like this - if I fast forward this time of unemployment to the time I will again be employed, what will I say I have accomplished? Hmmmm. You could ask yourself the same question any time actually. Fast forward your life by one, two or five years and ask "what have I accomplished?" To make the exercise more immediate, try substituting the word "year" for ""week" or "month." It's an interesting exercise in thinking critically about how you spend your time and where you see yourself tomorow or next month or next year.

We all have the same 24-hours of time each day. Sometimes I feel very accomplished because I've gotten a lot done, and other times, feel rather discouraged because I have nothing to show for my day.

Right now I have the gift of time. So the challenge is to construct my day in such a way that at the end of it, I can feel some satisfaction. For me this means thinking ahead to what I want to have done in the future, sometimes months away or sometimes later the same day. I need to work towards a goal, have a purpose.

When I get discouraged about the job search, which can be really tedious at times, I try to think about what I want for the future - meaningful and satisfying employment. So then the lists I make are made in the context of the bigger picture. The networking I do has a purpose.

Putting things into a broader perspective helps to give purpose and focus to what I'm doing right now. It also helps me to determine whether what I'm spending my time on is part of my overall raison d'etre. One of Stephen Covey's 7 habits is to begin with the end in mind. That sounds sort of logical, dosen't it? But you'd be surprised how often the final step in getting somewhere is left out. Have you ever flown to a new city, knowing your general destination but not the final piece of critical info to a successful arrival. I have. Or how about working away at some project only to discover it's not really what you wanted or needed in the first place? I have.

Beginning with the end in mind is useful as I think about what I'm doing with my time. It's good to reflect. There's also a time to do. You need a healthy balance of both. A time to plan and a time to execute.