Don't Lose Track of the Return on Your Investment

Today online, there was a discussion among lawyers about how you define success, and after listening into a webinar about tracking your time to determine the return on your investment, I could not resist posting my opinion, which is this: we each need to define success for ourselves, but try not to lose sight of the fact that the best return on your investment of time is those personal relationships you make in life-- that is your legacy in the end, not how much money you made for your company. In the last eight years, I have to make some very difficult decisions with significant financial consequences. For over 6 years, I have run my own firm so that I can have more of a work-life balance; last year, I made huge sacrifices in time and my personal spending in order to pursue my family reunification; this year, I have made it a priority to develop a meaningful relationship with a significant other, and with all of these choices came great personal rewards that could never be measured from a financial perspective. The time you spend with your family, volunteering for causes you believe in, and even on yourself-- just going to the gym, spa, or pursuing an individual interest is a key piece to maintaining inner peace and being happy. Don't let external demands overwhelm you to a point that you lose sight of what matters most in life. To most companies, you are only as good as yesterday's sale-- to your loved ones, you will always be a rockstar-- just don't take them for granted. :)