Follow the Money

A lot of people have budgets — whether you write down and track exactly what you spend each week or month, or if you have a sense of what you can spend from one day to the next, there’s only so much money and knowing where it goes is a whole lot better than the alternative.

But have you budgeted for career advancement?

What do you plan to spend this week, this month, in money and time to move your career ahead?

Think of it: you wouldn’t start raising funds without an idea of how much you’ll be spending on mailings, phone, transportation and more. Why should you be financially blind to moving your career ahead?

We’re not talking about much, but it can add up. Maybe you get a Starbucks’ card specifically for meeting contacts? Is there a piece of software — like a database for your network names — that you need to get to be more efficient? Who pays your AFP dues? If not your employer, then that’s a career expense.

Writing these down and adding them up will not only help your checkbook, but it will give you focus. Remember “follow the money”? If you follow where you spend your money on your career, and plan where you should, you’ll stop running behind on your expenses and start leading them to a better paycheck.