Monday Morning Muses - Sept 29, 2008 - On Education and Development
As the son of a university professor I grew up with a strong emphasis on education. My wife Sandy and I raise our 4 daughters to place a significant value on education.
It strikes me as ironic that until our early 20's we spend a significant amount of time educating ourselves to get ready for the real world but when we graduate college that level of investment drops like a rock. Be honest with yourself, "How much time are you spending on professional development?". Did the world all of a sudden stop changing and everything you needed to know you learned by your early twenties?
Now for a little math...Let's say Tom has $25,000 car. In any given year Tom might invest (between fuel, insurance, and other maintenance items) - $2,000 - $3,000 dollars. Tom earns $50,000/year. On a hourly basis that equates to $25/hour. Tom spends 40 hours a year in professional development activities. Those activities equate to a $1000 time investment that helps to maintain (and maybe grow) his ability to earn $50,000. I would venture to say that a lot of people don't invest 40 hours a year in professional activities.
Tom is investing more in his car than himself and his fundamental ability to earn that $50,000/year that pays for the car...mmmmm - makes you think
The point of the analogy is that a lot of us invest more in things (cars,furniture, toys,electronics, etc.) than we invest in ourselves and our ability to maintain/grow one of our most precious assets - our minds.
Questions to ponder:
- How much are you investing in growing your mind?
- What are the implications of that investment strategy?
- What example are you setting for your kids?
- What kind of insurance are you buying to protect your earning potential?
Peace out,
Ben
posted by Ben Blanquera at
6:08 AM
2 Comments
