Where Does the Time Go (Part I)

Picking up on yesterday's post about time and money, let me take a couple more days to think through time.  As a new partner in my firm, I have the same responsibilities as I had before (quarterbacking gigs, writing up reports, holding clients' hands, seeing engagements through to the finish line) but many more others, most notably marketing the company, working my own personal networks, and shaking the proverbial trees for money. 

The inside-outside game of powering through analyses and reports at my desk on the one hand, and pressing the flesh and cultivating relationships on the other hand, is particularly tiring and invigorating at the same time.  Sometimes I wish I only had to worry about one or the other, since toggling between both can be tiring for this introvert.  Sometimes I'm glad I get to spend time on both, because I enjoy both and it's fun to connect the two: reports are made more useful by talking to actual human beings, networking leads to analytical work that is interesting.

At any rate, I was busy before I took on these new responsibilities, so it's been a challenge figuring out how to get just as much desk work done as before while spending more and more hours pounding the pavement and curating contacts.  Just this month, over and above the usual complement of meetings on projects and proposals, I have had 12 one-on-one's and attended 2 events.  By the fall, I'd like to get that to 20 and 4. 

That's a lot of time to spend on things not immediately related to current work or imminent work.  But it's what you do to work the pipeline.  And, of course, it's not like it's not enjoyable.  In fact, it can be quite invigorating, to riff with smart people and to think big picture about a wide range of topics and concerns.  But it does take a considerable amount of time and energy, two finite resources I'm struggling to figure out how to manage.