We all go through different sprouts of productivity depending on what projects we are working on and what time of year it is. Like many, I feel there is something about the months of January and September that mark a beginning of productive seasons part one and part two. In January it is about reassessing our life in general and goals for the year. In September, the typical back to school season, it is about work, training and improving our skills and value. Our birthdays can also act as a milestone for measurement, however unless there are unexpected life events or deadlines on the agenda, this model leaves a large stretch of time that could pass by without much personal and professional skills evaluation.

While attending the Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar in November of 2011, I bought a set of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind Cards that are meant to give daily reminders of some of the points we learned. They are very simple and each card mentions one point taken from the book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth. And of course, there is an app for that! One of the first things I do each morning is randomly pick one of the cards and read it. It sets the tone for my day and helps me stay focused, evaluate where I am at and remember what I need to do to get where I want to go.

Part of our professional evaluation is also comparing our self to someone else in the same industry. If you are in the communication design profession in North America and wondering how much you are worth, you might find the The AIGA/Aquent Survey of Design Salaries for 2011 of interest. This will also help if you are planning to hire someone in that field.

It is common sense, but I did find this quote from T. Harv Eker really resonated with me. “You will be paid in direct proportion to the value you deliver according to the marketplace.” The main word here is value and four factors establish our value in the marketplace; supply, demand, quality, and quantity. Supply and demand are dictated by the market, but quality and quantity is something we can control. For my goals this year, I am aiming to maintain a high quality and start delivering in larger quantity.

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