What do you do when there are pulls (or opportunities) for your time that are taking you from the tasks that you are carrying?
If you’ve struggled with finding the time for a mentor or mentee, this #TwoMinuteMondays is for you.
transcription
If you had 440 coins in your pocket and someone you respected asked for one, would you give it to them?
I can’t think of too many higher complements that someone could say more than “Could I have a little bit of your time so that we could exchange ideas?” Sometimes that’s brainstorming among peers, sometimes that’s mentoring or coaching; but in every case, it is a privilege and an honor.
I was at a company event about a month ago and we were talking about mentoring our colleagues and someone asked me “How do you find the time?” — it’s fair question. A couple of years ago, I read a quote from Henri Nouwen that spoke to my soul and frankly transformed my point of view. He said:
I used to constantly complain about all the interruptions to my life’s work, until I realized those interruptions were my life’s work.
He thought he was supposed to do X, but other stuff kept coming up – and then he realized that his true purpose was to meet those other needs.
In most months, there are 22 business working days – and I average about 10 hours per day at my desk. So, I have 220 working hours in a month or 440 half-hour slots. So yeah, my job keeps me very busy, but I’ve got 440 coins in my pocket, so if you ask, I’ll give you 1 … maybe 2 or 3 if food is involved.
Regardless of where you are on the mentor versus mentee spectrum, you too have got 400+ coins in your pocket. How do you want to spend them?
See you next Monday
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