If you want good advice on making career decisions it helps to listen to someone who obviously made some good ones along the way—namely Carly Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett Packard. At a recent commencement address at MIT, Carly described her own life's journey that led her to the esteemed position of CEO of one of the world's most respected and successful corporations.

 Here's her advice in a nut shell.

 • Prepare to be surprised. As Carly says, "Journeys in life are far more random, far less orderly, than they seem at first glance." How could anyone have predicted that a secretary in the shipping department would eventually become the company's CEO? The odds of something like that happening are very remote. 

 • Don't make your decisions totally on a logical basis. "Engage your heart, your gut, and your mind in every decision you make," suggests Carly. This is one of the important skills that we don't learn in the university. For some it is easy, but for others it can take decades to learn.

 • Keep your eyes focused on the big picture of life. No single decision is going to place you in a position forever. In this way, fear doesn't have to rule your life. There are no mistakes when it comes to getting experience that lead you to your next opportunity. Pause at moments to assess the big picture.

 • If you don't like something that you are doing, it's probably a pretty good reason for getting out of it. Carly explained that she was quite a number of months into law school, trying to emulate her father's profession, when after three months of sleepless nights, she decided she had to do something other than study law. Love what you do, or don't do it, says Carly. And making choices like this will undoubtedly leave a few upset family members in its wake.

Wise advice. While Carly was obviously talking to a group of young people who had just completed one phase of their life and would be moving on to new beginnings, her advice is well taken for anyone. 

In fact, we would suggest that it might even be good advice on a day-to-day basis for how you decide what to do with your time. Prepare to be surprised during the day. You undoubtedly will. But prepare for it, accept the inevitability of it. Don't make your decisions on a logical basis. Give yourself time to engage all parts of your being in making any daily decision. Always keep your eye focused on the big picture. This is where your Key Areas in your Time Manager will help. 

Now the last one is a bit of a problem. Not too much would get done if we decided on a moment by moment basis whether we liked something. But certainly if we considered some unpleasant tasks in relationship to the larger picture of what we are passionate about, we'd probably get a lot more things done! Thank you Carly Fiorina!

Janelle Barlow, Ph.D.
President
TMI, USA
 

Please submit your questions to Time Manager Questions and Answers. If you have questions, undoubtedly someone else has the same question. By asking a question, you'll help a fellow Time Manager user become more effective.
 
 

Previous "Time Manager Q & A Corner" pages: 
 

#1	Key Areas and Interruptions
#2	Daily Plans and Home Offices
#3	Result Statements
#4	Reading and Responding to E-Mail
#5	Sending E-Mail
#6	Filing According to Key Areas
#7	Setting up Files for the Whole Office
#8	Controlling Loose Pieces of Paper
#9	The Value of Time
#10	More on Results Statements
#11	Managing Time on the Road
#12	How to Get Time with Someone
#13	The Downside of Goals
#14	Thinking Types and Time
#15	Feeling Types and Time
#16	Intuitive Types and Time
#17	Sensate Types and Time
#18	What's Real about Strategic Planning?
#19	What Does Being Strategic Really Mean?
#20	How Perception of Time Influences Goal Choices
#21	The Four Immutable Laws of Controlling Your Desk
#22	Decision Making and Cultural Groups
#23	Paperless Office: Fact or Fiction?
#24	Exit Planning
#25	Speed: Does It Free Up More Time?
#26	Time in the 21st Century
#27	Open Office Plans
#28	The Costs of E-Mail
#29	How Do Senior Level People Manage Their Time?
#30	On Saving Time
#31	Paying the Ultimate Price with Time By Not Getting Enough Sleep
#32	Telecommuting and Productivity
#33	How Much Is Your Time Worth?
#34	Goal Setting and Change

Please submit your questions to Time Manager Questions and Answers by fax or e-mail . If you have questions, undoubtedly someone else has the same question. By asking a question, you'll help a fellow Time Manager user become more effective.

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